Cruise Ship Docked at WICO on Day of Shooting and Robbery Almost Left Port Early, But Fast Work By Local Officials Allayed Concerns

ST. THOMAS — It was shaping up to be another sunny if regular day at the Havensight Mall. The Crystal Serenity with its 375 guests and over 200 crew members had docked at the West Indian Company (WICO) early Saturday morning, and many of its passengers were expecting a day of activity and shopping.

But at about 11:00 a.m., a brazen robbery and shooting incident rocked the mall when three gunmen stormed the Glitter's jewelry store with guns blazing, shooting a security guard and a patron shopping items for her family. Both victims were rushed to the Schneider Regional Medical Center and nearly lost their lives, according to police reports.

The incident immediately shifted the mood at the Havensight Mall, with yellow tape cordoning off a large area, and ambulance and police siren lights transforming a tourist hot spot into a crime scene. Docked in the backdrop of the crime scene was the cruise ship Crystal Serenity. Concerned about its passengers, the ship kept its guests and crew onboard and had already prepared the vessel to leave WICO early.

But local officials worked expeditiously on a number of fronts to get the matter under control, said Dept. of Tourism Commissioner Joseph Boschulte during an interview with the Consortium Tuesday.

Mr. Boschulte, who also serves as the chairman of the WICO board, was on St. Croix that day to welcome LIAT and its guests as the airline has scheduled three visits to St. Croix this month. The commissioner had to cancel those plans and quickly spring into action, holding conversations with the lead of the Cruise Lines International Association to address the incident. Because the discussions were happening soon after the shooting and robbery, Mr. Boschulte had conversations with the V.I.P.D., Gov't House, the president of WICO and WICO's security team, as well as the security head of the Gov't Employees' Retirement System, which owns Havensight, "to understand specifically what was happening and to provide accurate information."