KINGSTOWN, St Vincent (CMC) — More than two week after four people were killed, allegedly by an 18-year-old youth, Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves has broken his silence on the matter.

He told reporters that while he could not comment on the November 13 incident in which the four people, including a mother and her son, were killed by the youth who has a history of mental illness, killing sprees should not be something occurring here.

Gonsalves, an attorney, said he is allowing the judicial system to take its course.

“But, obviously, there are issues which involve mental health, community activity, parenting, policing, the judicial system. Was the ball dropped by one or more persons along the way and there is an analysis being done in that regard from a policy standpoint,” he said.

The prime minister said that he has been told that in the United States, Canada, France, and other places people engage in those mass killings.

“I say, yes, that’s true but it is not supposed to happen here and we don’t want it is to happen here and that is why we have to analyse it in great detail and learn… where any person or persons dropped the ball.

“Now, there is always a scope for blame, throwing of blame — one side says it’s that person another side says it’s that person;  this system failed, that system failed. I don’t have that luxury of finger-pointing like that. I have to be very dispassionate in the analysis and get all the information,” said Gonsalves, who is also minister of national security.