Prominent Sint Maarten Politician Shot, Wife Killed in Suspected Politically-Motivated Attack

The violent incident in Sint Maarten, which appears politically motivated, left the wife of politician Olivier Arrindell dead and Arrindell himself injured, prompting calls for unity and international assistance to address the unrest

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.