Dec. 13, 2007 – Police on St. Thomas are dealing with another homicide, the second in as many days, and the third in the last month in the Hospital Ground area.
The most recent killing occurred about 1:52 a.m. Thursday when police responded to reports of a man down in the area, Police Spokeswoman Monyka Johnigan said in a brief statement sent Thursday afternoon.
The identity of the victim, described only as a black male, has not yet been released ."Police responded to reports of a man lying in a pool of blood in the Hospital Ground area," Johnigan said in the statement. "The victim displayed shallow breathing when officers arrived at the scene, however EMT personnel detected no vital signs upon arrival and evaluation."
Police Commissioner James McCall confirmed the victim died of a gunshot wound to the back of the neck.
The killing comes three days after 29-year-old Saker H. Mohammed, was gunned down while leaving his grocery store business in Hospital Ground.
Police received reports shortly after 10 p.m. of shots being fired in the area and later found Mohammed, who had sustained multiple gunshot wounds, lying motionless next to his vehicle.
Police have not ruled out robbery as a motive and that killing is under investigation.
Meanwhile police continue to investigate a Nov. 23 killing of 41-year-old Clerance VanBeverhoudt. He was found in a grocery shopping cart with multiple gun shot wounds including one to the head.
At the time, Police Chief Rodney Querrard decried the fact that no witnesses had come forward. Police believed that VanBeverhoudt's killing occurred between 10 p.m. on Nov. 22 to 1 a.m. on Nov. 23 at a time when many people were in the area bars.
Police are urging anyone with information on any unsolved killings to call 911 or 715-5545 or 715-5534.
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