One man was shot to death and another injured Thursday morning during a robbery at the Two Brothers Meat Market in Frederiksted, and police have now charged two men with homicide.
N’Kosi Parris and Mario Daniels Jr. have been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of the store owner.
At about 11 a.m. Thursday, police were alerted by 911 operators of the robbery in progress at the market, located on Prince Street. Police arrived within seconds and found two gunshot victims, according to VIPD authorities.
One, the 33-year-old store owner, had no vital signs. A second victim, shot at least once in the body and grazed in the head by a bullet, was taken by ambulance to Gov. Juan F. Luis Hospital.
Eyewitnesses gave police a description of one suspect and minutes later, based on that description, bike patrol officers detained a person of interest who they saw running in the area. That person was taken to the Criminal Investigation Bureau for questioning. It was not clear Thursday night whether the man detained was Parris or Daniels.
Police Commissioner Novelle E. Francis Jr., Police Chief Christopher Howell, police officers, forensic technicians and detectives canvassed the area collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses.
At one point during the investigation, police in full tactical gear surrounded an abandoned building in the Ludvig Harrigan Court housing community, based on a report that a suspect might have been hiding there. Special Operations and K-9 officers inspected each apartment in the abandoned building, but no additional suspects were located at that time.
Chief Howell commended the officers for their quick response to the scene and for their ongoing investigation of the case.
Anyone with information can call the chief’s office at 340-712-6005, the detectives at 340-712-6067 or 340-712-6037, or the anonymous tip service, Crime Stoppers USVI, at 1-800-222-TIPS.
Thursday’s shooting was the tenth homicide in the territory in 2011, the sixth on St. Croix. By the end of March in 2010 there had been 20 homicides in the territory and 11 on St. Croix.
Police have said they will release further information on the suspects Friday.
