A man who agreed to give a ride to a wounded man ended up in the middle of a gunfight Tuesday night in the vicinity of Williams Delight, the V.I. Police Department reported.
According to the police, officers responding at 10:56 p.m. to a report of gunshots discovered a Jeep Wrangler with its engine running. As they investigated, a man approached them, identifying himself as the individual operating the vehicle.
The man told police that while he was purchasing food from King of Hearts Bar & Restaurant, an injured man he did not know asked for a ride. He agreed. As the unknown man entered the passenger side of the vehicle, another man, also unknown to the driver of the Jeep, approached the injured passenger and asked if he had a gun in his possession.
Suddenly a shootout between the two men broke out and the operator of the Jeep exited the vehicle to avoid being hit in the crossfire. The vehicle sustained damage from the gunfire, while several spent shell-casings and a machine gun were recovered from the scene of the incident.
Police searched for the injured male at the Juan F. Luis Memorial Hospital, but no one had arrived at the facility seeking medical attention for wounds associated with gunfire and the individuals’ whereabouts are unknown.
Police urged anyone with information about the incident to phone the Criminal Investigation Bureau at 340-712-6024, St. Croix Chief of Police Arthur Hector Sr. at 340-712-6005, or contact the anonymous tip service, Crime Stoppers USVI, at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.crimestoppersusvi.org.
