Three killings in four days on St. Croix push USVI homicide toll to 44
A 35-year-old man shot outside a Christiansted bar early Saturday is the third homicide on St. Croix in under four days. The U.S. Virgin Islands' 2026 homicide count now stands at 44.
Hillman Faucher Jr. shot dead outside Christiansted bar; island's toll reaches 27
A 35-year-old man was shot and killed outside a bar in Christiansted early Saturday morning, becoming the third homicide on St. Croix in fewer than four days, viconsortium.com reports. The killing brings the U.S. Virgin Islands' total homicide count for 2026 to 44.
The victim was identified by next of kin as Hillman Faucher Jr., the V.I. Police Department confirmed. St. Croix has now recorded 27 homicides this year, compared with 17 on St. Thomas and none on St. John — meaning the island accounts for more than 60 percent of territory-wide killings.
The VIPD's Gunshot Detection Center received an alert at approximately 3:40 a.m. on Saturday, October 24, reporting a single gunshot near The Hide Out Bar on Queen Street in Christiansted. Responding officers found Faucher on the ground in front of the establishment. He was transported by ambulance to Juan F. Luis Hospital, where medical staff pronounced him dead.
Two earlier killings in four days
Saturday's shooting followed two other homicides on St. Croix that occurred within the same short span.
On Thursday night, October 23, a 17-year-old boy was shot and killed in Frederiksted. The VIPD received reports of gunfire at the Walter I.M. Hodge Housing Community — known locally as Sofarelli — at approximately 9:07 p.m. Officers found Ky'janny Niles among two victims; an 18-year-old man was also wounded. Both were taken to Juan F. Luis Hospital, where Niles died from his injuries. The second victim was reported to be in stable condition.
Two days before that, on Tuesday, October 20, 24-year-old Jahmarie Warden was shot and killed in Old Fredensborg. Police responding to a gunshot detection alert at approximately 10:39 a.m. discovered Warden unresponsive near a vehicle that had been damaged by gunfire. Emergency medical personnel determined he showed no signs of life at the scene.
Running toll climbs through the week
The recent violence also reflects a death confirmed earlier in the week: a man critically wounded in an October 1 shooting in Profit Hills had subsequently died, raising the territory's count at that point to 42 alongside Warden's killing. Niles's death on Thursday night pushed the total to 43 before Faucher's fatal shooting brought it to 44.
The three killings in the latest cluster occurred in separate communities, with victims ranging in age from 17 to 35. Police have not publicly established any connection between the shootings.
The Criminal Investigation Bureau is investigating Saturday's incident. No motive has been disclosed and no suspects have been identified in Faucher's death.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers V.I. at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Cash rewards are available for tips leading to an arrest.
Source: Google News VI — Crime