The victim of an attempted armed robbery died last month a week after he was shot, the V.I. Police Department announced Wednesday.
Troy Gomes, 31, died April 14 due to complications that arose from a gunshot wound he received on his right leg during the incident. His death has been classified as a murder. It was unclear Wednesday evening why the department delayed the announcement by more than two weeks.
It is the 13th homicide in the territory this year, the sixth on St. Thomas.
Gomes was shot by a masked gunman who forcibly entered his Lerke Gade apartment April 7. The police report indicated that the masked man assaulted a male resident of the apartment, not Gomes, by hitting him on his head with a handgun.
The resident told police that the suspect demanded that he give him “the drugs and the money.” The resident told police he did not know what the suspect was talking about.
At that time Gomes, who also lived at the residence, arrived home and began to struggle with the suspect.
Gomes ran out of the apartment and the suspect fired several shots, striking Gomes once in his thigh and his right thumb. The victim was transported by ambulance to the hospital, where he underwent surgery. He died one week later.
Detectives are urging the community to call police if they have any information on this case. Anyone with information on the crime, no how small or seemingly insignificant, can the detectives at 642-8449 or 715-5545, or can call the anonymous tip service, Crime Stoppers USVI, at 1-800-222-TIPS.
