St. Thomas, USVI - On Monday, February 20, 2023, at approximately 2:09 a.m. several citizens called 911 to report shots fired in the area of Norre Gade, in the vicinity of the Lutheran Church.

Upon responding police units’ arrival to the scene, one black male was found slumped over in the passenger seat of a dark colored SUV.

Emergency Medical Technicians also arrived on the scene and checked the male for vitals and concluded that he did not have any signs of life.

Officers learned that two more males arrived at the Schneider Regional Medical Center’s Emergency Room where they were being treated for gunshot wounds. However, one of the males identified as 21-year-old, Taheem Monsanto later succumbed to his injuries.

The identity of the deceased male in the SUV is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

“We have seen a rise of gun violence in our community in the St. Thomas District. If anyone has any information, please reach out to the VIPD.”, said Steven Phillip, Chief of Police for the St. Thomas, St. John and Water Island District. “We have to be our brother’s and sister’s keeper; we can not continue with this gun violence in our community. The VIPD is out there doing our best efforts, we are making arrests, we are taking guns off the streets, but we can do much more with the help of the community. Please, if you know anything say something, concluded Chief Phillip.”

Anyone having any information about this incident please contact the Virgin Islands Police Department at (340) 774-2211 or the Criminal Investigation Unit’s Major Crimes Division at (340) 642-8449. Calls can also be made to Crime Stoppers VI at 1 (800) 222-TIPS (8477).