ST. CROIX — A 24-year-old man was shot and killed Tuesday morning in Old Fredensborg, where police responding to a gunshot detection alert discovered a vehicle damaged by gunfire and a man lying unresponsive on the ground.
The latest killing brings the U.S. Virgin Islands' homicide count for 2026 to 42, according to V.I. Consortium tracking, a tally corroborated by the V.I. Police Department. St. Croix accounts for 25 of those deaths, while St. Thomas has recorded 17. No homicides have been reported on St. John this year.
The deceased was identified by his next of kin as Jahmarie Warden, according to the V.I. Police Department.
VIPD Director of Communications Glen Dratte said the 911 Emergency Call Center received a notification from the department's Gunshot Detection Center at approximately 10:39 a.m., reporting shots fired in the Old Fredensborg area.
Officers responding to the location discovered a vehicle that had sustained damage from gunfire and Mr. Warden lying unresponsive nearby. Emergency Medical Services personnel subsequently arrived and determined that he showed no signs of life.
The VIPD has not disclosed the circumstances leading to the shooting or whether Warden had been inside the vehicle when the gunfire erupted. No suspect has been identified, and the Criminal Investigation Bureau is actively investigating the homicide.
Anyone with information about the killing is urged to contact the Criminal Investigation Bureau at 340-778-2211, Crime Stoppers V.I. at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), or 911.
