ST. CROIX — A man who police say was shot in the upper chest on Thursday night near the Estate Glynn Cockpit has died, V.I.P.D. Public Information Officer Glen Dratte confirmed via press release this afternoon.
Mr. Dratte had told The Consortium that the victim had gone into surgery and that his condition was being monitored. However, today Mr. Dratte revealed that emergency physicians were unable to save the victim, a 63-year-old man named Ralph Skerrit.
According to Mr. Dratte, the incident, which occurred just after 8:00 p.m., involved a man who was sitting in his truck when someone, riding on a motorcycle, came near the victim, shot him in the upper chest, and sped westward through Mon Bijou.
The incident appeared to be unrelated to cockpit activities, as the facility was closed when the shooting occurred, Mr. Dratte confirmed.
In today’s release, Mr. Dratte said the victim had sustained not a single, but multiple gunshot wounds to the upper chest. Police also recovered shell casings adjacent to the victim’s pickup truck.
This shooting follows an incident at the John F. Kennedy Housing Community a day earlier, that left Dwayne “DMX” Woodrup — who was shot multiple times in September 2015 while driving a red Honda Civic on Centerline Road (Queen Mary Highway) near the Central High School, during a barrage of shooting incidents that month and was airlifted out of the territory for emergency care — critically wounded but still alive.
Mr. Dratte said the V.I.P.D. is continuing its investigations into both matters, and the force is asking anyone with information that may lead to the arrest assailants to contact the Investigation Bureau at 340-774-2211 ext. 5579 and 5557. Residents can also contact 911, Crime Stoppers V.I., the chief’s office at 340-715-5548 or the commissioner’s office at 340-715-5506.
Tags: 63-year-old man named Ralph Skerrit., mon bijou, shooting, us virgin islands
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