Breaking

9-Year-Old Boy Dies After Being Shot in Head in Croixville Housing Community; Police Detain 15-Year-Old

Concerned Residents Clean Christiansted Town Using Their Own Tools, Money, and Some Help from the VI Fire Service

Territory May See Veterans Cemetery Through DeGazon-Sponsored Bill

Credit and Debit Cards of WAPA Customers Were Compromised Since August 30th, WAPA Says, Authority to Finally Start Issuing Notification Via Mail and Email

Sports Tourism in VI Gains Momentum as DC United Team is set to Play Exhibition Soccer Game on St. Croix

Carnival Breeze Brings 3,700 Tourists to St. Croix During Maiden Call; Senators, Tourism Officials Want to See More

Limetree Bay Willing To Provide $10 Million To Help Add Life to a Dying G.E.R.S.

American Airlines to Serve St. Croix With New Flights Next Summer

The Sudden Death of Influential Roots Reggae Visionary, Vaughn Benjamin of Midnite Band and Akae Beka, Has Rocked the Virgin Islands and Reggae Community Around the World

Arthur A. Richards K-8 School Hosts Anti-Bullying Campaign

Come Out. Hang Out. Have Fun at The Meat Up, One of St. Thomas’ Latest Hot-Spot for Good Food with Friends and Family.

UVI Board of Trustees Approves $47.1 Million Fiscal Year 2020 Budget; Sets $3 Million Fundraising Goal

Man Dies During Early Morning Car Accident on St. Croix; Driver of Car Arrested (Updated)

'You Did Everything You Could to Prevent this from Happening': An Emotional Goodbye to Young Aaron Benjamin

Back in Business: Cost U Less on St. Thomas Opened its Doors Friday to Thousands of Customers 2 Years after Irma and Maria

Bill Aimed at Regulating Credit Use by Gov't Departments and Agencies Among Others Held in Committee

Juan Luis Hospital Announces Completion and Availability of Mobile Dialysis Facilities

Tractor Trailer With Tank Carrying Thousands Of Gallons of Liquified Gas Flips Near Cool Out Bar; Driver Injured But Alive

Credit and Debit Card Hack Through WAPA Appears to be Widespread in Virgin Islands; WAPA Says Support Services Will be Made Available to Affected Customers

Facing Life in Prison Without Parole, Mother and Boyfriend Plead Not Guilty in Murder of 4-Year-Old Boy

Gittens, Longtime Advocate For Fence At Gomez School, Renews Call

Crime / News / Virgin Islands / July 26, 2016

Senator Kenneth Gittens on Tuesday condemned the midday shooting in the area of the Joseph Gomez Elementary School in Estate Tutu on St. Thomas, according to a press release the senator’s office issued. Mr. Gittens, who has been advocating for the placement of a wrought iron fence around the perimeter of the school’s campus, said he hopes that the incident sheds light on the potential for a very tragic occurrence.

“I have been looking at the vulnerability of that campus and have made calls and held discussions with the Education Department and other government officials to put the fencing in place to protect our children, faculty and staff,” Mr. Gittens said. “Around here it seems as though we have become too complacent, thinking that the worst cannot happen to us, we sit and wait until the inevitable occurs. This should not be, we should be proactive at all times to protect the lives and safety of our children.”

The lawmaker added that he received information from police and school officials who described Tuesday’s incident as a shootout on the campus. He said the incident involved at least two unknown shooters exchanging gunfire as they ran through the campus. Mr. Gittens said by all accounts, while the students were somewhat emotionally shaken, no one was physically harmed, information corroborated by the V.I.P.D.

“Not only am I upset that these gun-toting individuals see fit to launch attacks on each other and others in our community, but I am also upset, because I am aware that the funds are in place to install a suitable fence to protect our children,” Mr. Gittens said. “The school is nestled in between private residential areas and public housing communities. It is no secret the type of criminal activities that occur in some of these areas and until we can weed them out and clean up the areas, we need to keep our children safe while they are at school or in this case, at summer camps.”

In his final words, Mr. Gittens concluded that he is once again making a public appeal to Government Officials – namely those at Department of Property and Procurement – to get the ball rolling on the fencing project.


Tags: ,



Staff Consortium




Previous Post

Shooters Take Gunfight To Joseph Gomez School With 450 Students On Site; No One Injured

Next Post

Three Women Confirmed To Be Pregnant And Infected With Zika As Number Of Cases In VI Jump To 65





You might also like

Leave a Reply


More Story

Shooters Take Gunfight To Joseph Gomez School With 450 Students On Site; No One Injured

ST. THOMAS -- Two suspects who apparently started their altercation on the streets this afternoon, took their gunfight to the campus...

July 26, 2016