ST THOMAS, USVI — A shooting that critically injured a St Thomas resident and wounded two other persons during the Carnival J’ouvert pre-dawn tramp in the US Virgin Islands brought an immediate end to J’ouvert, which was beginning to increase in numbers at about 9 am when the shooting took place.
“It is beyond basic understanding and unacceptable that a person would pick up a firearm and shoot into a crowded event,” Governor John de Jongh said on Thursday.
The governor praised the work of Police Commissioner Designate Rodney Querrard, Sr. who displayed a zero tolerance for violence during J’ouvert but has also mobilized the department’s tactical team to augment the manpower strength and is using information gathered by the department’s intelligence unit.
Querrard said Police Chief Darren Foy and Deputy Chief Dwayne DeGraff met on Thursday afternoon to further develop their strategy for greater deployment of manpower at the remaining nights of Carnival Village, the two parades and the much anticipated Carnival horse races.
De Jongh met late Thursday afternoon with Querrard, Foy and VIPD Intelligence Unit Director Ray Martinez to discuss the incident of this morning, the leads police are pursuing in the case.
“I was assured by the leadership of the department that today’s shooting was not a random act. The intelligence gathered in the case suggests that the shooting stemmed from ongoing differences between two neighborhood groups who used the cover of the large crowd of J’ouvert to level their retaliatory acts,” de Jongh said.
The remaining events of Carnival 2013 are important to us, de Jongh said; however, the safety of the residents of the US Virgin Islands and the many visitors that are on island for this weekend’s climax of Carnival is our utmost concern and priority.
“If it becomes necessary to curtail or cancel a Carnival event to ensure the safety and well-being of the community, such decision will be made,” he said.
Also on Thursday night, de Jongh signed an executive order suspending the provisions that allows taverns and nightclubs to remain open and dispense alcohol until 6 am.
“All such taverns and nightclubs shall cease operation at 4 am,” de Jongh said.
SOURCE: Caribbean News Now!
