St. Thomas Police discovered on Monday the bullet-riddled body of a man in a car at the old Texaco Gas Station near the Nadir intersection.
According to the V.I. Police Department, the victim, later identified as 38-year-old Jean Attignol, was found about 8:15 a.m. slumped over in the drivers’ seat of a pickup truck. Police said the body appeared to have sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
Preliminary investigation by detectives from the Major Crime unit determined Attignol, a Haitian national, was shot several hours earlier at that location. There were no reports of shots fired in that area to 911 emergency operators. Emergency medical technicians said Attignol died at the scene.
Multiple spent shell casings were collected at the scene and a handgun was also found inside the vehicle.
It was the third homicide on St. Thomas since the beginning of the year, the fourth in the territory.
The case is under investigation by the Major Crimes Unit, and Police Department investigators ask the public, in particular residents of the area, to provide any information that can to assist in solving the murder. Police are also asking for help from others in the Haitian community.
Language is not a barrier, according to the department. The Major Crime unit has detectives who can speak French Creole. Operators at the anonymous tip service, Crime Stoppers USVI, are also multilingual.
Police urge residents to report all discharging of shots to the 911 Emergency Call Center. Such calls help police pinpoint the times that crimes occur and can also save the life of an injured person.
Anyone with information can call detectives at 1-340-642-8449, 911, or Crime Stoppers USVI at 1-800-222-TIPS.