VIPD: Man Shot By Attacker In ‘Black Mask’ At Kirwan Terrace Treated In Hospital

CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Virgin Islands Police Department patrol officers and members the Criminal Investigation Bureau responded to the 911 Emergency Call Center of a shooting victim at Michael J. Kirwan Terrace on St. Thomas’ west end about 6:28 p.m. on Friday.

When police arrived on the scene the officers discovered that the victim was not on the scene and had traveled by private vehicle to the Schneider Regional Medical Center to seek treatment.

Criminal Investigation Bureau officers and Crime Scene Technicians, along with patrol officers encountered the victim at the hospital facility.

The victim told officers that he drove up the hill from “The Electric World” business to visit a friend in the housing community. Upon arrival at the residence he discovered that his friend was not home. He then parked his vehicle at the residence and proceeded to walk to a second friend’s home in the neighborhood.

During his walk, the victim told officers that he observed an individual approaching from behind. The suspect was wearing a black mask and a black shirt according to the victim. He heard a loud noise and began to run as a result of the startling noise. He later discovered that he was shot in the leg. The victim was able to contact a friend via cell phone. Upon the friend’s arrival to the scene the victim was driven to the hospital in the victim’s private vehicle.

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

John F. McCarthy is a veteran journalist in the Caribbean, writing from the "Decision Space" where survival meets the surreal. His reporting steel was tempered by a lineage of legendary editors and broadcasters, including Ed Wynn Brant (The Bomb), Owen Eschenroder (Ann Arbor News), Lynelle Emanuel (BVI Beacon), and Charles Thanas (WSVI-TV). Alongside longtime colleague Kenneth C. "Casey" Clark, McCarthy has navigated the front lines of the territory’s history—from the 1997 volcanic "snow" to every major hurricane since Hugo. Known for leaning out of doorless helicopters to capture the "money shot," McCarthy now edits the V.I. Free Press, providing the essential link between the island's colonial past and its SpaceX future.