A man identified as 22-year-old Javan Benjamin of Estate Hope was found shot to death early Thursday in the Kirwan Terrace Housing Community, the V.I. Police Department reported.
It was the 13th homicide on St. Thomas since the beginning of the year, the 19th in the territory.
According to police, the 911 emergency center received a call at 1:26 a.m. Thursday reporting an unresponsive black male lying face down between buildings 7 and 8 in Kirwan Terrace. Arriving at the scene, officer’s found an unresponsive black male, lying motionless face down on the ground in front of building 8.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the victim had sustained multiple gunshot wounds about the body.
The emergency medical technicians that responded to the call indicated that the victim showed no vital signs and pronounced him dead on the scene.
The crime scene was processed by the Forensic Unit and the Homicide Task Force along with the patrol unit, who canvased the area for any further information or witnesses to this crime.
This case is presently under investigation by the Homicide Task Force. Police urged anyone with information regarding the incident to contact the task force at 340-774-2211 ext. 5617 and 5554; the 911 emergency center; the Commissioner of Police’s Office at 340-715-5506; the St. Thomas/St. Joseph Chief’s Office at 340-715-5548; or the anonymous tip service, Crime Stoppers USVI, at 1-800-222-8477.
