Two young men were treated at the Juan F. Luis Hospital Saturday afternoon for injuries sustained when they were struck by gunfire in the vicinity of the Concordia Gas Station.
The victims were identified as identified as 24-year-old Kareem Matias of the Harrigan Court area and 21-year-old Laquan Hill of Hannah’s Rest. Both received wounds that were not life threatening, the V.I. Police Department reported.
According to the police, at roughly 3:26 p.m., officers were dispatched by the center to a report of shots fired in the vicinity of the Concordia Gas Station. Arriving at the scene, officers were told a maroon Mercedes Benz had been involved in a drive-by shooting. Additional information revealed that a Toyota Tacoma traveling out of Concordia at a high rate of speed towards the hospital contained two gunshot victims that needed medical treatment.
The suspects were reported traveling to the Hugginsburg area, where they abandoned the vehicle and hid in the bush area. Police set up a perimeter while officers of the K-9 unit and Special Operations Bureau conducted a search of the bush and recovered a high powered rifle.
The search of the area for suspects was unsuccessful.
Matias received gunshot wounds to his right hand and left leg. Hill sustained gunshot wounds to his left hand and a graze to his left shoulder.
Police investigating the case asked anyone with information to phone the Criminal Investigation Bureau at 340-712-6024 or 340-712-6037, the 911 emergency call center or the anonymous tip service, Crime Stoppers USVI, at 1-800-222-8477.