July 24, 2003 – A fight involving youths working in the St. Croix Anti-Litter and Beautification summer cleanup program that led to one of them being shot in the buttocks seems to have been the result of an earlier clash at school, Sgt. Thomas Hannah, Police Department public information officer, said Thursday.
The shooting occurred on July 17 near the Estate Catherine's Rest shanty, where the cleanup crew was working.
Four teen-agers working in the cleanup program were involved in the altercation, but the person who fired the shot was not a member of the group, according to police.
The 16-year-old who fired the shot has been detained and charged with third-degree assault based on the findings of the Youth Investigation Bureau. "The minor was remanded to the Youth Rehabilitation Center at Anna's Hope pending a hearing in the Family Division of the Territorial Court," a Police Department release issued on Wednesday stated.
In the release, St. Croix Deputy Police Chief Herminio Velazquez urged members of the community to do more to ensure the safety of all children in the territory. "We must be ready to do our utmost to end the senseless violence that occurs among our children," he said.
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