ST. CROIX — Police on Friday afternoon arrested 47-year-old Gary Simmonds in connection with a Teague Bay shooting on Thursday that occurred in the vicinity of the Yacht Club in Christiansted, V.I.P.D. Public Information Officer Glen Dratte has announced.
According to Mr. Dratte, the incident, which occurred at about 12:30 p.m., left a man in serious but stable condition. The victim was transported to the Juan F. Luis Hospital by private vehicle and was at the medical facility receiving care as of Friday.
Criminal Investigation Bureau detectives arrested Mr. Simmonds at around 4:00 p.m. and charged him with first-degree assault for shooting the male victim in the upper body.
According to Mr. Dratte, the suspect told police that the victim had threatened him during a verbal altercation, which the suspect said led him to retaliate. The victim, a flagman working with an off-island utility company, was on the job when he was shot, according to Mr. Dratte.
Unable to make bail of $75,000, Mr. Simmonds was remanded to the Bureau of Corrections pending his advisement hearing.