Piqua man shot dead on St. Thomas; territory reaches 46 homicides in 2026
Evan Haynes Jr., 39, was killed in a drive-by shooting on Hull Bay Road, St. Thomas, on Oct. 31. The U.S. Virgin Islands has recorded 46 homicides so far in 2026.
Ohio man killed in drive-by shooting on St. Thomas
Evan Haynes Jr., 39, of Piqua, Ohio, was shot and killed in the early hours of October 31 on Hull Bay Road on the north side of St. Thomas, the U.S. Virgin Islands Police Department confirmed. Thislocallife.com reports that the shooting was logged at approximately 4:42 a.m.
A local resident called 911 after hearing multiple gunshots in the area. Shortly afterward, a woman called 911 to report that she and her friends had been traveling along Hull Bay Road when a person in another vehicle chased them and opened fire. She said one of her friends had been struck and required urgent medical attention.
Police officers and emergency medical technicians responded to the scene and found Haynes with gunshot wounds and no vital signs. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The St. Thomas Source also reported that a woman was shot during the same incident; her condition was not immediately known.
Authorities have not disclosed what triggered the chase, whether those involved knew one another, or whether a suspect has been identified. Police have not linked the shooting to other recent homicides in the territory.
Haynes' death was recorded as the 18th homicide on St. Thomas in 2026. Later the same day, a 31-year-old woman, Torae Sanders, was fatally shot in the driveway of her home on St. Croix. Police said her death was the 28th homicide on that island this year, bringing the territory's total to 46 homicides for 2026.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the VIPD Criminal Investigation Bureau at 340-774-2211, ext. 5554 or 5556, or 340-714-9828, or Crime Stoppers V.I. at 1-800-222-TIPS.
Source: Google News VI — Crime