CHRISTIANSTED — A bomb scare on St. Croix near the Sunny Isle Shopping Center Annex turned out to be a false alarm after police linked a suspicious object in the roadway to a war game of “Capture the Flag” played by a Christian youth group the night before.
Police and emergency personnel responded to the Sunny Isle Annex about 9:10 a.m. on Friday, when a caller reported seeing a possible explosive device off Queen Mary Highway, the Virgin Islands Police Department said,
Police immediately made a visual confirmation of the object and responded by closing off through traffic and securing the area, according to the VIPD.
The FBI Bomb Unit flew over to St. Croix to assist at 12:37 p.m., and came to scene at 12:44 p.m. after an examination of the object it was discovered that the device was fake. Officers announced an all clear at 1:49 p.m.
A preliminary investigation revealed that a summer camp for students hosted by Youth with a Mission located in the residential area behind the Sunny Isle Annex was playing a game called “capture the flag” the night before and the replica of a bomb was placed on the truck for the campers to find.
The camp director stated that the replica dislodged from its hiding place and fell on to the roadway in the vicinity of the annex on Friday, July 27, 2018.
This matter is under investigation by the Criminal Investigation Bureau and Human Services. 911, 340-776-9110 or Crime Stoppers USVI at 800-222-8477 911, 340-776-9110 or Crime Stoppers USVI at 800-222-8477