USVI Homicide Toll Reaches 39
A 21-year-old woman, identified as J’Niya Rambaran, has died after being shot along Veterans Drive on St Thomas. The incident brings the US Virgin Islands' territorywide homicide count to 39 for the year. Law enforcement officials have not yet identified any suspects and are urging anyone with information to contact the police.
A 21-year-old woman has died following an early morning shooting on St Thomas, pushing the United States Virgin Islands' territorywide homicide count to 39 for the year. The Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) identified the victim as J’Niya Rambaran. According to police communications official Glen Dratte, the territory's ShotSpotter detection system registered multiple gunshots fired along Veterans Drive at approximately 1:00 a.m. on Monday, September 28.
Patrol officers immediately responded to the scene and found Rambaran suffering from at least one gunshot wound. Emergency personnel transported her to the Schneider Regional Medical Center, where she later succumbed to her injuries. Her identity was formally released to the public following the notification of her next of kin.
The VIPD has classified the incident as a homicide under report number 26TP11474. The department confirmed that the suspect or suspects remain unknown at this stage. Police have not yet provided descriptions of anyone being sought in connection with the crime, and investigators have not disclosed a potential motive for the fatal shooting.
Rambaran’s death marks the 17th homicide recorded on St Thomas this year. Combined with the 22 homicides reported on St Croix, the total number of violent deaths across the USVI has climbed to 39. Due to the deep familial, cultural, and economic ties shared between the British Virgin Islands and the US Virgin Islands, violent crime trends in the neighboring territory continue to be monitored closely across the wider archipelago.
VIPD detectives are actively appealing to the public for assistance. Anyone with information regarding the incident is urged to contact the Criminal Investigations Bureau at 340-774-2211, dial 911, or reach out to Crime Stoppers USVI. Community members may also submit tips directly to the Police Commissioner’s office at 340-715-5506 or the Chief of Police office at 340-715-5548.
Primary source: VINO