The V.I. Police Department reported late Saturday that one person was killed and five more were injured by gunshots in what law enforcement called a “mass casualty” incident at the former Embers Guest House on St. Thomas.
A VIPD spokesperson told The Source that a mass casualty incident occurs when an event overwhelms normally available emergency response capabilities.
According to a statement, police and V.I. Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel were dispatched to the scene after the Shot Spotter system and citizens reported multiple gunshots in the area.
This is the 23rd reported homicide on St. Thomas and the 40th for the territory, according to the Source Homicide List.* St. Croix has reported 17 homicides and St. John has reported none.
This is a developing story. Anyone with information about the shooting is encouraged to contact the Criminal Investigation Bureau at 340-774-2211, anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, or by calling 911 directly.
Eleven months ago, Ramona Rivera Luna was sentenced in federal court to more than seven years in prison and more than $1 million in fines for operating an illegal brothel out of the Embers Guest House. Rivera Luna pleaded guilty to one count of transporting an individual in foreign commerce for the purpose of prostitution and three counts of bringing illegal aliens to the United States for financial gain.
Police were also called to the Embers Guest House early last month after people reported finding blood outside one of the rooms. Upon arrival, they found an unidentified man with a severe head wound. The man was taken to Schneider Hospital by ambulance but died shortly after.
*The Source Homicide List is a chronological log of the homicides recorded in 2024 in the U.S. Virgin Islands, as reported by the VIPD. Cases are broken down by island. While this listing is based on VIPD reports, the Source does not include suicides or vehicular homicides in its listing, which the police and some other media do. This can lead to a discrepancy in the number of incidents reported.
