A man was injured Wednesday when he was struck by gunfire while he walked in the area of Upper John Donkoe on St. Thomas, the V.I. Police Department reported.
According to the VIPD, at 4:10 p.m. Wednesday, patrol officers, crime scene technicians and detectives from the Criminal Investigation Bureau responded to a 911 call that directed officers to the Schneider Regional Medical Center. At the hospital, the victim, whose name was not released by police, told officers he had been walking home in the Upper John Donkoe area after visiting a friend when , he heard multiple gunshots fired. He said he began running and felt a burning sensation. He realize he was bleeding.
The victim said he was able to use the cellphone of a stranger and called a friend. The friend arrived and drove the victim from the area to the hospital.
Police said the victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the lower extremities of the body.
This incident is under investigation by the Criminal Investigation Bureau. Police urged anyone with information about the case to call VIPD at 340-774-2211, the Criminal Investigation Bureau at 340-714-9807, or the anonymous tip service, Crime Stoppers USVI, at 1-800-222-8477.