CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A minor is in stable condition after a shooting on the Moravian Highway in St. Thomas on Sunday night, authorities said.
The 911 Emergency Call Center dispatched officers to the Moravian Highway after a report of shots fired came in about midnight, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
Officers on the way to the area noticed a silver vehicle passing them at a high rate of speed, according to the VIPD. The vehicle was followed to the Schneider Regional Medical Center.
“The vehicle had a driver and two passengers, all minors,” VIPD spokesman Toby Derima said. “One of the passengers, a 17-year-old male, sustained a gunshot wound and was taken to the hospital’s Emergency Room for treatment.”
Officers found a firearm in the vehicle, and the two 15-year-old males in the vehicle were taken into protective custody and charged with constructive possession of an unlicensed firearm, Derima said.
“Juvenile gun possession is one of the threats to public safety in the territory,” St. Thomas Police Chief Steven Phillip said. “As parents we must ensure that our children understand the danger.”
This incident is under investigation by the Youth Investigation Bureau. Anyone with information about this incident is urged to call 911, the Youth Investigation Bureau at (340) 774-2211, or Crime Stoppers USVI at (800) 222-8477.
“Remember, if you see something, say something,” the VIPD says.