Three Dead, Three Injured in Back-to-Back Weekend Shootings

A deadly weekend unfolded across the territory with a wave of gun violence that left three people dead and three others injured, including a 14-year-old boy, in separate shootings on St. John and St. Croix.

Shortly after 1:30 a.m. Sunday, chaos broke out in Cruz Bay, St. John, as police responded to two shooting scenes within minutes of each other.

The first call came from the Penn Trucking area, where officers and bystanders reported a male shot. Moments later, ShotSpotter and multiple citizens reported more gunfire near the Roundabout, this time involving a silver vehicle. Officers already on the first scene reported hearing the second round of shots in real time.

Two victims from the first shooting were taken to Myrah Keating Clinic, then transferred to Schneider Regional Medical Center. One has since been released, while the other remains hospitalized in stable condition.

At the second scene, emergency responders found two men dead inside the vehicle: 23-year-old Lee Joseph Christian and 28-year-old Jordan Brierley Clendinen, both of St. John. The double homicide marks the first two homicides in 2025 for St. John, according to the Source Homicide List* and has left the close-knit island community reeling.