An alarming spate of gun violence throughout the territory prompted a press briefing Wednesday during which the V.I. Police Department’s leadership and Lt. Gov. Tregenza Roach urged Virgin Islanders to come forward with any information.
Ten days ago, 31-year-old Wahili James and Samuel Rivera, 34, were shot and killed at the Luna Bar on St. Croix, and two others were injured. On Wednesday, St. Croix Deputy Chief of Police Naomi Joseph said that the killing of 20-year-old Amani Daley, whose body was found in the bush Tuesday evening near Profit Hills, is “connected” to the two earlier homicides. On June 12, 15-year-old Tre’Vante Etienne was shot and killed in the afternoon at the basketball court in Savan on St. Thomas.
During a Government House press briefing Monday, Lt. Gov. Tregenza Roach referenced two other recent shootings.
On Sunday, a 16-year-old was shot multiple times while riding his motorbike near the Omar Brown Fire Station on St. Thomas, and another person was shot in the arm at the Walter I. M. Hodge housing community on St. Croix. Both were taken to the hospital for treatment. On Tuesday afternoon, 23-year-old Asani Henry was shot and killed in the Hospital Ground area of St. Thomas. Later that day, 55-year-old Fitzroy Wattley was found dead from gunshot wounds in the Sanchez Town part of Estate Bovoni.
Separately, police responded on Monday to reports of gunshots in the Whim area of St. Croix. Rusiel Encarnacion, 45, had been shot multiple times and died after being taken to Luis Hospital. During Wednesday’s press briefing, Joseph noted that several of the people killed were “known to law enforcement” or had recently gotten out of prison.
“But I want the community to know that despite the fact that they had criminal backgrounds, we still investigating their homicides,” she said. “And we still want to bring closure to the family members who love them. Because ‘good child,’ ‘bad child’ — trust me, somebody loves him, and we just want to let the community know: it doesn’t matter who you are, it doesn’t matter what your background is. We still take the case as serious as if you are five years old — doing nothing to no one — and was killed violently. So we’re asking you: if you know something, say something.”
Law enforcement and government officials have beseeched Virgin Islanders to come forward if they have information about any of the recent killings. When asked about the territory’s witness protection program Wednesday, Roach said that the briefing was “not an opportunity to discourage people” from coming forward with information.
“The police cannot be everywhere, and if … the people who have information are not going to share — to assist — the police in making arrests and in investigating these crimes, then we’re going to be living in an environment that does not generate and produce the results that we want to see, in terms of justice being delivered and suspects being apprehended and charged,” he said.
