Second Victim Pronounced Dead In Saturday Night Shooting Outside Cockpit

ST. CROIX — The Virgin Islands Police Department late Thursday announced that a second victim in the Saturday night shooting outside the Estate Glynn cockpit that left a 16-year-old dead and three others injured, has died as a result of injuries sustained during the shooting.

That’s according to V.I.P.D. Public Information Officer Glen Dratte, who revealed the victim as 28-year-old Lawrence Greenidge. Mr. Greenidge was shot in the head during the incident.

Mr. Dratte said the force’s Criminal Investigation Bureau is investigating all leads.

A female victim, who is an employee of the cockpit, was shot in the leg and was said to be in stable condition. And an adult male — now identified as Mr. Greenidge — was shot in the head, Police Commissoiner Delroy Richards told The Consortium late Saturday. A fourth, male victim was grazed in the face, the V.I.P.D. later revealed.

The incident occurred after 8:00 p.m., and the 911 emergency call center was contacted at about 8:23 p.m. Mr. Richards said the V.I.P.D., as of early Sunday, had not established a motive for the deadly shooting. He said people who were inside the establishment heard gunshots on the outside, and witnessed at least two of the victims rushing into the cockpit attempting to escape gunfire.

“We don’t know whether the adult male was the target, or whether the minor was the target,” Mr. Richards said.

While the incident was ongoing, an officer noticed a man on the scene acting suspicious. The man then got into a vehicle and drove away from the scene, prompting police to pursue him, according to Mr. Richards. He was chased to the Barren Spot area, where he then got out of the car and ran into a house. Mr. Richards said police were able to take him into custody and levied unlicensed firearm, ammunition and unlawful entry charges against him. Police have identified the man as 36-year-old Edgardo Ortiz Jr., however he was not named as a suspect in the shooting.

“One incident led to the other,” Mr. Richards said. The commissioner had previously stated that the second incident was not connected to the first. However, in a later conversation with this publication today, he said, “We don’t know if he is the shooter, but we know that he was on the scene, he was acting suspicious, he was followed and ran into a house — and the house that he ran into, he had no permission to be there. So he was also charged with unlawful entry.”

The commissioner had earlier stated that the latter matter had forced officers to call for K-9 Units while they were knee-deep investigating the shooting.

The deaths were the third and fourth on St. Croix in 2017; St. Thomas has seen 10 deaths — bringing the territory’s total this year to 14.

As of early Sunday, police were continuing their investigation into the matter, according to the commissioner. The force is asking anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of those involved to contact the V.I.P.D. at (340)778-2211, or Crime Stoppers USVI, where you tip may lead to a substantial payout.

Feature Image: Scene of shooting on Saturday night. (Credit: VIC)