V.I. Police Department officers responding to reports of shots fired in several locations on St. Thomas Sunday found the body of a man who had been shot to death. Two other men were wounded by gunshots in separate cases.
It was the fifth homicide reported in St. Thomas since the start of the year, the sixth in the territory.
In a news release issued Monday by VIPD spokesman Kevin Jackson reported that at 2:30 p.m. Sunday officers responded to a call of shots being fired in the vicinity of the Lionel Roberts Stadium in Hospital Ground.
On arriving at the scene officers were alerted by a concerned citizen to the body of a man in the gut adjacent to the Fish Market.
The responding officers found the body of a man, bleeding from wounds to his head. He had also sustained a broken leg, and was transported to the Schneider Regional Medical Center Hospital, where he died early Monday morning.
The shooting victim was identified as Lakeel Wade.
Police also discovered an abandoned vehicle with the passenger side and rear window shattered. Examining the area, the police also discovered several spent shell casings.
In other shooting incidents:
At 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Mario Emmanuel was standing outside of the 21 Bar in Savan when he heard gun shots being discharged. As he began to run from the area, he was shot in the left calf. He was transported to the Roy Lester Schneider Hospital in a private vehicle for treatment.
At about 9:18 p.m., Sunday, Nyim Ponteen sought treatment at the SRMC and reported that he’d been walking from the Fish Market in Hospital Ground towards the basketball court when he heard multiple shots being discharged. Ponteen realized he’d been shot, and was transported by a private vehicle to the hospital.
Anyone with information on these incidents can phone the VIPD’s Major Crimes Unit at 1-340-642-8449, the Internal Affairs Bureau at 1-340-774-2452, the 911 emergency dispatch center, or the anonymous tip service, Crime Stoppers USVI, at 1-800-222-8477
1-800-222-8477. Information provided will be kept in the strictest confidence.
