ST. THOMAS — A man V.I. Police Department officials acknowledge was an “unidentified” gunshot victim on St. John in an unpublicized incident in April was found slain on St. Thomas in early May.
Tishawn VanHolten, 22, was found lying unresponsive on May 4 near Holy Family Catholic Church in Anna’s Retreat. His death from apparent gunshot wounds is now the subject of an investigation by the V.I. Police Department Major Crimes Unit.
VanHolten was the victim of a shooting in the Pine Peace area on April 13, authorities subsequently acknowledged. VanHolten was not mentioned by name in a statement made public two days after the shooting.
An unidentified a 22-year-old shooting victim was questioned by authorities and later transported to the Roy L. Schneider Hospital for treatment of his injuries, according to an April 15 statement from VIPD. Officers had been dispatched to Pine Peace in response to reports of shots being fired in the area.
“Officers arrived on scene and were later dispatched to Myrah Keating Clinic in reference to a gunshot victim,” Jackson said. “The victim told officers that he was walking in the area when he heard gunfire and ran into a nearby store, and came to realize he’d been shot once he exited the establishment.”
At that time, four weeks before he lost his life in a second shooting incident, VanHolten told investigators he did not know who shot him April 13 in Pine Peace. VanHolten’s death was discussed at a May 5 press conference by Police Commissioner Delroy Richards at Government House.
Four St. Thomas Victims
At the time police were processing four homicides that took place on St. Thomas over the course of three days, including the stabbing death of an elderly couple visiting from Massachusetts. The couple’s son, who was recorded on surveillance camera entering a dwelling at the Crystal Cove condominiums with the two victims, was arrested back in his home state on May 5.
Anyone who thinks they may have any information about the shooting of Tishawn VanHolten, 22, is asked to contact the VIPD Investigations Bureau at (340) 693-8880, ext. 5213 or dial the police emergency line at 911.
