Context

The rate of violent deaths in the Caribbean remains well above the world average. The Small Arms Survey’s Global Violent Deaths database finds that the rate of homicides in the region for 2021 is three times higher than the global average. Firearms are used in about half of these homicides, and this proportion reaches 90 per cent in some countries (Fabre et al., 2023, pp. 36–38; Small Arms Survey, n.d.). Trafficking—including of firearm parts used to build PMFs—remains the primary source of small arms seized in the region. Based on available seizure data, handguns are the main type of illicit firearm used by criminals in the Caribbean, although there are growing concerns about the proliferation of rifles, notably in Haiti (Fabre et al., 2023, pp. 67, 70; Jones, 2023).

PMFs in the Caribbean vary widely in sophistication and include crudely made shotguns, modified flare guns, converted alarm handguns, 3D-printed firearms, and PMFs assembled from industrially produced components (Fabre et al., 2023, pp. 87, 91, 95, 105). Given their low cost and the increasingly diverse ways in which key firearm components can be acquired or produced—including through the use of 3D-printing and CNC milling technology—PMFs have the potential to become a significant threat. Moreover, there have been seizures of devices that make it possible to convert semi-automatic pistols and rifles into fully automatic firearms (p. 100). The proliferation of privately made rifles and semi-automatic pistols, combined with the circulation of conversion devices, increases the likelihood that significantly more rounds will be fired during criminal shootings, which may in turn increase the risk of multiple injuries, including among bystanders.