Bullets rang out across Love City between Friday, April 7, and Sunday, April 9, as three separate shootings which are possibly related occurred in Cruz Bay and Coral Bay.
The first shooting took place in Estate Enighed around 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 7, when a teenager was shot in the street.
The 16-year-old male resident of George Simmonds Terrace was arguing with an 18-year-old Gift Hill resident, according to V.I. Police Department spokes-person Sgt. Thomas Hannah.
There was an encounter between the 16-year-old boy and another male who was known to him, said Hannah. The encounter on Friday night concerned a previous argument that the two were having involving family members.
Shot in the Hand
The 16-year-old suffered a single gunshot wound to the hand, and was treated at Myrah Keating Smith Community Health Center (MKSCHC) before being transferred to Schneider Regional Medical Center on St. Thomas, where he was treated and released, according to Hannah.
At around 11:30 p.m. on the following night, Saturday, April 8, the 18-year-old suspected assailant in the Friday night incident was himself shot in a drive-by shooting outside of Meadas Plaza in Cruz Bay, according to Sgt. Hannah.
Drive-by Shooting
The 18-year-old was the victim of a drive-by shooting, Hannah said. He received a gunshot wound to the lower left side of his back.
Police believe the shootings are related, Hannah explained.
This shooting incident is somehow related to the shooting incident on Friday night, Hannah said.
The victim said that he did not know who shot him, but we are looking into the aspect that the two incidents were related,
Hannah added. The victim was taken to the MKSCHC before being transferred to the Schneider Regional Medical Center where he was admitted and later reported to be in stable condition, according to Hannah.
The third shooting of the weekend occurred on Sunday evening around 11 p.m. in Coral Bay.
Three men in a shanty on the road behind where Sticky Fingers barbeque was located were struck by numerous shotgun pellets when someone discharged a shotgun loaded with buckshot ammunition from a vehicle, Hannah explained.
Buckshots Fired in Coral Bay
The principle reporting person stated that he was outside of the one-room house that he is living in when he heard a vehicle, said Hannah. He stated that he saw the vehicle drive up and heard shots being discharged.
The man, who was standing outside, received numerous gun shot pellet wounds about his legs and back, Hannah added.
Inside the residence, two other individuals stated that they heard the gunshots, he said. One of the men went to the door and was struck with gun shot pellets about the lower body. The other man was lying on the floor and received gun shot pellets to his legs.
Police did not supply the age of the three Coral Bay gunshot victims. They were all transported to the MKSCHC where they were treated and released.
Police believe this incident is also related to the shootings the previous two days, Hannah explained.
We are following the possibility that these incidents are all related in some fashion, he said.
Possible Retaliation Shooting
The Coral Bay shooting might have been retaliation for the Saturday shooting, according to one published report which alleged one of the victims was a suspect in the Meadas Plaza incident.
The investigations into the shootings are on-going and VIPD officials ask anyone with information to call the Jurgen Command at 693-8880 or the Coral Bay Substation at 774-1111.
