For the third time in just 18 days, police on St. Croix are investigating a fatal shooting at the Marley Apartments in Frederiksted.
Police were called to the housing complex near the Frederiksted Fish Market after 911 received a call at 1:39 a.m. Tuesday reporting a man down. Arriving at the scene, police found 17-year-old Dupert Knowles III of Estate Campo Rico unresponsive under a tamarind tree in the area.
The victim sustained at least one gunshot wound to the body. He was removed from the scene by medical personnel.
The case is being followed up by the Major Crime detectives. Investigators have not ruled out that the recent homicides in the Marley Apartments area are related.
At 11:40 p.m. Feb. 27, police were dispatched to a call of shots fired in the Marley complex. A male victim, later identified as 43-year-old Hernan Santos Jr. of Estate Williams Delight, died while being treated at the hospital for at least one gunshot wound to the left side of his stomach.
Just six days later, on March 4, Vincent "Sensi" Johnson of Frederiksted was shot and killed in the area. Johnson died of at least one gunshot wound to the upper body. Several residents told police they heard a single gunshot that evening between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. No one reported gunfire to the police at the time.
Tuesday’s shooting death was the 10th on St. Croix this year, and the 19th in the territory.
Police Commissioner Novelle E. Francis, Jr. reminded the community Tuesday there is a standing $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of any homicide suspect.
Anyone having information on this killing or any other case can call 911, the Major Crime Bureau at 712-6075, the Criminal Investigation Bureau at 712-6077 or the anonymous tip service, Crime Stoppers USVI, at 1-800-222-TIPS.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story contained the wrong total number of homicides for the territory since the beginning of the year. The list, which has been corrected, contained one shooting death that has been determined to not be a homicide.