June 5, 2007 — Police territory wide have stayed busy investigating several killings in the last week, the most recent coming late Monday night.
Casroy Stevens, 30, was shot outside of his bar and restaurant in Estate Grove Place at 10:46 p.m. Monday, said Police spokeswoman Shawna Richards.
"He sustained what appeared to be a single gunshot wound to the body," Richards said in a released statement.
Stevens was shot outside the S&I Bar and Restaurant, where he sat with bar patrons playing dominoes "when they observed a later model green or black sports-utility vehicle driving by," Richards said. "According to reports, a passenger in the back seat of the vehicle fired shots at the group," she said, adding that witnesses told police there were three males in the vehicle but could not provide descriptions of any.
He was rushed by EMS ambulance to the Luis Hospital and pronounced dead early Tuesday at 12:54 a.m., she said.
Police officials urge anyone with information that might lead to the apprehension of the shooter or accomplices to contact the Criminal Investigation Bureau on St. Croix.
Stevens' death is the fifth on the island so far this year and comes among a spate of other killings and incidents across the territory involving guns. His death comes a day after the island of St. Thomas tallied its eighth homicide for the year. In that incident, 53-year-old Dale O. Samuel was shot and killed after a gunman opened fired in his Smith Bay home. Samuel and a female companion were in their home about 1:33 a.m. Monday when they heard a knock on the door, but there was no answer when Samuel went to check, Police said. A gunman then entered the home and began firing, hitting Samuel once in the back. His female companion, who had run to a back room, was not harmed. There have been no arrests in that case, according to Police reports.
In the other cases:
— June 1 on St. Thomas: Paulino Remy, 19, of Kirwan Terrace, was shot and killed about 12:53 a.m. At the time, Police did not know the time and location of the shooting. The matter is still under investigation.
— June 2 on St. Croix: Brendalee Melendez Belardo, 30, a resident of Campo Rico, was found dead on Scenic Drive about 8:40 a.m. Police have said they are looking at the case as a possible suicide but not ruling out foul play.
Richards said Tuesday that there was no update on the case. Police ask that anyone with information on the above cases or any homicides that remain unsolved contact investigators by calling 911 or contacting the Criminal Investigation Bureaus at 778-4950 on St. Croix or 774-4950 on St. Thomas.
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