Jan. 24, 5.30 p.m.
Shamal Gabriel, age 30, turned himself into VIPD on Monday, facing murder charges for the shooting and death of Delroy Venzen on St. Thomas, the V.I. Police Department reported.
During the investigation, detectives obtained information that Gabriel shot and killed Delroy A. Venzen on Jan. 19 at Coki Point Beach, the police report stated.
Gabriel was charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, first-degree assault, third-degree assault, using a dangerous weapon during a crime of violence, reckless endangerment, unauthorized possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence and unauthorized possession of firearm ammunition, according to the police report.
He was processed and turned over to the Bureau of Corrections, pending advice of rights hearing, police said.
Jan. 20, 8.30 p.m.
Police and emergency medical technicians arrived at Coki Point Beach shortly after 10 p.m. Thursday to find Delroy Venzen shot to death, officials said Friday.
Police said Venzen, 59, had been shot multiple times in the upper body.
A second man, whom police identified only as being 31 years old, had also been shot and was transported to Schneider Regional Medical Center where he remained hospitalized, police said.
The killing is the second homicide in the territory of the year. Early Sunday, Marcos Antonio Benjamin Guerrero was shot to death in the Market Square area of St. Thomas. A swift investigation concluded Luis Manuel Mota Rivas, 30, was the alleged shooter and that Aneudy Guerero helped him get away, police said. Both men were arrested within days.
In June, police again asked for the public’s help in investigating the December 2020 shooting death of 33-year-old Delroy Venzen Jr. after a fight near a Smith Bay restaurant. Three other men were shot but survived, telling police they were not associated with the fight and did not know who had shot them. They were treated at Schneider.
Venzen Jr.’s New Year’s Eve death was the 46th homicide of 2020 in the territory. Venzen’s death Jan. 19 night is the second of 2023.