VIPD: ‘Mexican Standoff’ Ends In Two Men And One Boy Shot At Rainbow Beach This Afternoon

FREDERIKSTED — A heated argument escalated into shootings that left two men and one boy injured near Rainbow Beach this afternoon, authorities said.

Police say two men in their 20s were taken to the Juan F. Luis Hospital for treatment and one minor arrived by ambulance, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.

Emergency 911 dispatchers sent police to the popular West End beach area at 3:57 p.m. today with a report of “multiple shots fired” near Rainbow Beach, according to the VIPD.

“Officers responded and upon preliminary information provided, three male individuals shot each other during a verbal altercation,” VIPD spokesman Glen Dratte said. “All three individuals are being treated at the JFL for their injuries sustained.”

This incident is under active investigation by the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB).  

Anyone with information is asked to please call the CIB at 340-778-2211, or the anonymous tip line Crimestoppers USVI at 1-800-222-8477 or 911.

EDITOR’S NOTE: A Mexican standoff is a confrontation in which no strategy exists that allows any party to achieve victory. As a result, all participants need to maintain the strategic tension, which remains unresolved until some outside event makes it possible to resolve it.