Galloway Building in Estate Diamond near the east end of the Melvin Evans Highway on St. Croix. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS CONSORTIUM
ST. CROIX — Multiple incidents Saturday night left one man dead and three others injured, V.I.P.D. Public Information Officer Toby Derima has confirmed to the Consortium.
Authorities received notification of the first incident at about 11:30 p.m. following multiple calls to the 911 Emergency Call Center reporting a man down in the vicinity of the Galloway Building, where the Karma Gentlemen's Club, a strip club, is located. The Galloway Building is located in Estate Diamond at the eastern end of the Melvin Evans Highway.
The victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body and was rushed to the Juan F. Luis Hospital by private vehicle where he was pronounced dead on the scene, according to Mr. Derima.
He was identified by next of kin as Denver Charlery, age 34 of Mount Pleasant.
Three teens injured
In a separate shooting that occurred during a gun battle between two individuals that was raging near the Frederiksted Market on the roadway adjacent to the Lagoon Street Complex (near the old Fritz E. Lawaetz Legislative Hall), three innocent bystanders — all teenagers — sustained gunshot wounds that sent all three to the hospital for treatment.
According to Mr. Derima, at about 11:59 p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to the area following multiple reports to the 911 Emergency Call Center.
According to the police report, residents of the area were hanging out outside when the gunshots rang out, resulting in three victims being injured. An 18-year-old male was shot in the lower torso and leg; a 19-year-old male was shot in the left leg; and a 19-year-old female sustained a gunshot wound to the left upper thigh, according to the police report.
"These three were not involved" in the incident, Mr. Derima said. "These three were innocent victims."
On the scene, police recovered shell casings from what was described as a high caliber weapon and a hand gun. None of the weapons were recovered.
The V.I.P.D. is asking anyone with information about the shooting outside the Galloway Building in Estate Diamond and the shootings near the Frederiksted Vegetable Market to call 911, the Crime TipLine at (340) 778-4950, or provide an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers USVI here.
The latest homicide brought the territory's total for 2021 to fifteen: twelve on St. Croix, two on St. Thomas and one on St. John.
