On 19 October, "crowds estimated at between 15,000 to 30,000 persons shut down workplaces, poured into the streets of the capital, St. George’s, and freed Bishop from house arrest."
After the fighting, eight people were lined up against a courtyard wall inside Fort Rupert for a lengthy period of time before finally being shot by firing squad.
Senator Chester Humphrey described it as a milestone in the island's efforts to heal wounds from the events of October 1983: "It's the end of one chapter, not the completion of the book, as Grenada tries to build a future by not living in the past," he said, according to Associated Press news agency reports.
Ewart Layne signed a confession at the time of Bishop's murder accepting sole responsibility for issuing the orders which led to the executions.
Bernard Coard, the head of government at the time, stated that he intended to leave the country after protests broke out in reaction to his arrest of Bishop.
In October 2003, Amnesty International issued a report stating that the Grenada 17 should be granted "a prompt, fair and impartial" new trial, and referred to them as "the last of the Cold War prisoners".