Police Arrest Man Said To Be Involved In June Attempted Murder Incident

ST. THOMAS — V.I.P.D. officers in the St. Thomas-St. John district on Friday arrested a man believed to be involved in a shooting incident that left one victim with a gunshot wound to his upper-left shoulder, V.I.P.D. Public Information Officer Glen Dratte announced Saturday.

Mr. Dratte said V.I.P.D. Intel Detectives, at 1:30 p.m. Friday, contacted the suspect, 21-year-old James Nash III at his residence, and apprehended him pursuant to an arrest warrant.

The incident took place in the wee hours of Monday, June 5 at about 12:05 a.m. in the area of Kronprinsens Gade, according to V.I.P.D. Media Specialist Sakeeda Freeman.

The 911 emergency call center received notification of shots being fired in said location, and that a gunshot victim had been transported to the Schneider Regional Medical Center.

Upon officers arrival to the hospital’s emergency room, contact was made with the 22-year-old victim, who said he was walking westward in Kronprinsens Gade, when an unknown individual walked up to him and asked whether the car wash facility that the victim was near to was open. The victim said the situation felt suspicious, so he kept looking back at the suspect. Suddenly, the suspect pulled out a firearm, according to the victim, and started firing multiple shots at him.

The victim said he then instinctively grabbed the suspect’s hand, at which point a scuffle ensued, even as the suspect continued firing shots. The incident ended with both the suspect and victim running in separate directions.

The victim said he was not immediately aware of his wound, but later felt a burning sensation and realized that he had been shot in the upper-left shoulder. He was transported to the hospital by a concerned resident that the victim did not know, according to Ms. Freeman.

Mr. Nash was charged with first-degree assault, third-degree assault, unauthorized possession of a firearm, and attempted murder. He was remanded to the Bureau of Corrections pending his advise-of-rights hearing.

This case is presently under investigation by the Criminal Investigation Bureau (C.I.B.). The V.I.P.D. is asking anyone with information regarding this incident to contact C.I.B. at 340-7742211 ext. 5579 or 5556. You can also contact 911, Crime Stoppers V.I.