Scene of the shooting in Sint Maarten that left Sabine Arrindell dead, according to investigators.
The people of Sint Maarten are reeling from violence on Wednesday night that left the wife of a prominent politician dead and the man himself injured.
Olivier Arrindell and his wife Sabine were in a car traveling in the Maho area around 9:30 p.m. when gunshots rang out. In the aftermath, Mr. Arrindell was filmed being wheeled into an ambulance on a stretcher. "This ain't no joke," he shouted to bystanders. "Look at my wife in the car!" Mr. Arrindell shouted, while calling the names of other political leaders and holding them responsible for the violence.
He later confirmed Mrs. Arrindell's death in a subsequent voice note to followers, urging for calm while police conduct their investigations.
Sint Maarten's Minister of Justice, Lyndon Lewis, issued a statement on Thursday confirming that four victims were shot in the incident, three of whom were transported for treatment at the Sint Maarten Medical Center, while one was found deceased at the scene.
"It appears that these heinous acts may have been politically motivated," Mr. Lewis said, noting Mr. Arrindell's position as leader of the Oualichi Movement for Change (OMC) party. He condemned the violence, stressing that "our nation is founded on principles of peace, respect, and democratic engagement," and repudiating the notion that violence is part of the country's political landscape.
Mr. Lewis said that the government was "actively seeking assistance from our Kingdom Partners to support the capabilities of our local police," in light of "this incident and the broader climate of unrest." He called for unity among the Sint Maarten population, with everyone committing to "stand together against violence and work collectively to maintain the peace and democracy that define our nation."
