Crime

Shooting Suspect, A Minor When Incident Occurred, Now Being Tried as An Adult

ST. THOMAS — A teenager will now be tried as an adult after he was arrested on gun-related charges last year, while still a minor.  Jahfari Samuel Jr. has been charged with a series of offenses including possession of an unlicensed firearm, reckless endangerment, assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.  According to court documents, the minor was taken into protective custody on July 18th, 2021 after police investigated reports of shots being fired at a gas station on Alton Adams Drive. Samuel Jr. was reportedly taken into custody after police viewed surveillance footage which showed him holding an unknown object later determined to be a gun.  Samuel, who was a minor at the time, was advised of his rights in the presence of his mother. The affidavit states that he admitted to having a firearm on his person during an altercation between his friend and an unknown male. The minor told police that he had purchased the weapon weeks earlier for his protection...