CRUZ BAY — Virgin Islands Police Department officers from the St. John Jurgen Command responded to a 911 call of shots fired in the Bayside area near Caps Place about 8:58 p.m. Tuesday.
When police arrived, officers “found an alert and responsive black male in his early to mid-30s, Kwane Jean-Baptiste, a local resident who was shot multiple times in his lower extremities,” according to the VIPD.
Additional detectives and crime scene technicians processed the scene and discovered that at least seven shots were discharged at the scene, VIPD spokesman Karl Caesar said.
Police then accompanied the alert Jean-Baptiste to the Myrah Keating Smith Clinic for treatment.
At that time, Jean-Baptiste refused to give any information to the officers about the incident saying that “he doesn’t know what happened,” according to Caesar.
Jean-Baptiste was accompanied by detectives from the Criminal Investigation Bureau when he was later transported to the Roy Schneider Regional Medical Center for further “treatment, care and observation.”
Meanwhile, the comments were hot and heavy on the Virgin Islands Free Press and its social media platforms.
“Not good for tourists,” Tod Commish Beals said. “They will go elsewhere. I would.”
But Hooman Pedram disagreed on the Facebook’s”Network & Information Group” about the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“I take one shot over mass shootings,” Pedram said.
“Yea… it’s also not great for locals… who get shot… or have their family members shot,” Kai Pyro said. “But of course, please prioritize the tourists’ perception of St. John.”
And Kenneth Moolenaar of St. Thomas had another point of view.
“Well I don’t care where you are from if you are breaking the law and committing crimes we don’t need you in our islands,” Moolenaar said. “And that goes for everyone no exceptions from top to bottom. Honest law-abiding citizens have the right to be able to live in peace and harmony in their homes without being terrorized by common criminals. Get the criminals out of our islands and clean up our communities .Enough is Enough. Law enforcement earn your pay and Citizens do your duties. Virgin Islanders open your eyes. God Bless.”
This case is currently under active investigation by the Criminal Investigation Bureau.
Anyone having any information about this or any other crime is asked to please contact the Virgin Islands Police Department at (340) 774-2211, Major Crime Unit at (340) 714-9830 or the Criminal Investigation Bureau (340) 714-9807. You can also contact Crime Stoppers at 1(800)222-8477 or 911.
“We need your help and the entire community’s involvement,” Caesar said.