Got TIPS or BREAKING NEWS? Please call 1-284-442-8000 direct/can also WhatsApp same number or Email ALL news to:newsvino@outlook.com;                               ads call 1-284-440-6666

UPDATE: Man injured in shooting incident wanted in USVI for murder

Tahira Charles, who is wanted by police in the US Virgin Islands. Photo: VIC
The Premier's state-owned Cadillac Escalade that became involved in an accident allegedly due to the shooting incident on Wickham's Cay II last evening, July 31, 2016. Photo: Team of Reporters
The Premier's state-owned Cadillac Escalade that became involved in an accident allegedly due to the shooting incident on Wickham's Cay II last evening, July 31, 2016. Photo: Team of Reporters
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI– The man who sustained a gunshot wound to the hand in last night’s, July 31, 2016, shooting incident on the dual carriageway at Wickham’s Cay II has been identified by officers of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) as the man wanted for murder in the US Virgin Islands (USVI).

According to a press release from the RVIPF this evening, August 1, 2016, Tahira Charles, 32, a passenger in the white Suzuki, gave Police a fictitious name but was later positively identified as the man whose photo appeared on a USVI wanted poster for murder which was circulated last week.

Charles was repatriated this evening to the US territory.

Police earlier today reported that a driver of a white Suzuki SUV travelling on the eastbound lane of the Sir Francis Drake Highway stated he was being pursued and shot at by men on a scooter near the Treasure Isle Hotel. In an attempt to evade the gunmen, the driver of the Suzuki crossed and entered the westbound lane where the Premier’s vehicle was at the time travelling on the westbound lane toward Road Town.

The driver took evasive action to avoid colliding into the white SUV, and collided into the Moorings fence causing extensive damage to the vehicle. The Premier was not at the time in the vehicle.

No one else was injured in the incident.

Sources had earlier said the shooting victim was Ricardo Farrell aka Scar, however, it seems that was a case of mistaken identity.

See previous article published August 1, 2016

Man injured in drive-by shooting 

A man is nursing gun shot wounds following a drive-by shooting on the dual carriageway on Wickham's Cay II last night, July 31, 2016.

According to reports, shots were fired towards a moving vehicle from another moving vehicle in a movie style scenario some time around 11:00 P.M.

A man, who has been identified as Ricardo Farrell aka Scar, is now nursing non-life threatening injuries at Peebles Hospital as a result of the shooting. It is not clear if Farrell was the intended target of the shooter.

It is reported that during that same incident, the police driver in the Premier's state-owned Cadillac Escalade swerved off the road to avoid being hit by the car that was being shot at.

Premier Dr The Hon D. Orlando Smith was not in the vehicle at the time of the incident as he was attending the Miss BVI Pageant at Multi-Purpose Sports Complex.

The accident involving the Premier's vehicle was first reported by this news site.

Police Information Officer Diane Drayton promised a reponse to our queries today, August 1, 2016.

52 Responses to “UPDATE: Man injured in shooting incident wanted in USVI for murder”

  • rock city (01/08/2016, 11:52) Like (24) Dislike (2) Reply
    Bvi the new gun city
    • I rebuke that in Jesus name (01/08/2016, 12:56) Like (28) Dislike (7) Reply
      The devil is a lie. Christians get up from your comfortable beds and let's start to pray seriously over this land. This is no joke. It is getting worst, we cannot ignore it. We have to pray for our sons, there is a diabolical plot to kill them all.
      • 666 (01/08/2016, 17:30) Like (2) Dislike (9) Reply
        Thats the best trick I ever played....
      • tretretrete (01/08/2016, 19:18) Like (18) Dislike (9) Reply
        no mythical midevil crafts at work just greedy young cocain cowboys...i think we'll escape with them killing off each other...if you not into any nonesense just keep your head down and nose clean...i still sleep with my window unlocked on tola...dont be grounded my silly biblical folly....there was a diabolical plot once to kill our young men, it was called slavery and they had bibles in one hand whips in the other, this lasted for hundreds of years and who know how many millions of us died in the process with no white god bursting through the clouds to our defense....

        I say again, let these young millionaire cocain cowboys kill off each other in peace please, i see no reason to put this shit on the news even, other than the premier vehicle being involved
        • elegal (02/08/2016, 01:23) Like (8) Dislike (10) Reply
          i agree with you on this one. In the past few hundred years God haven't come out to anyone's rescue as far as i know.
        • @Hmmmmm (02/08/2016, 09:40) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
          You do realise that these wars are taking place any time of day and anywhere. The new trend is to carryout these acts wherever and kill innocents even! The issue really isn't a biblical one at all and I will be praying for travelling mercies not only when I take flights, but even when I travel to the grocery, work etc. My God is not dead. Moreover, the root of the issue is in fact that single mothers now are not resilient to raise strong kids, they feel its about money or the lack thereof. The mothers in these VI need to be addressed, and more urgent that going independence if you ask me.
        • @Hmmmmm (02/08/2016, 09:40) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
          You do realise that these wars are taking place any time of day and anywhere. The new trend is to carryout these acts wherever and kill innocents even! The issue really isn't a biblical one at all and I will be praying for travelling mercies not only when I take flights, but even when I travel to the grocery, work etc. My God is not dead. Moreover, the root of the issue is in fact that single mothers now are not resilient to raise strong kids, they feel its about money or the lack thereof. The mothers in these VI need to be addressed, and more urgent that going independence if you ask me.
        • bad (02/08/2016, 13:22) Like (4) Dislike (1) Reply
          Black killing blacks all over , but it's always some else's fault, we need to take our own responsibility and then we can address the problem. We need to loose that large chip on our shoulders
      • Village (02/08/2016, 06:22) Like (5) Dislike (4) Reply
        the Christians were to busy wuking up in the village i couldn't believe my eyes
      • keep praying (02/08/2016, 17:14) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
        Prayer wouldn't do a thing if we don't take action. Keep sitting back and praying, see how far we will get! From the time I was a child folks been praying and it's getting worse, what does that tell you!!
  • Good lord (01/08/2016, 12:19) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
    Realy
  • wize up (01/08/2016, 12:26) Like (24) Dislike (1) Reply
    Look at the age group involved in these escalating incidents of shooting in BVI: those of us over 50 years can safety say in our days we heard of shootings once per year: now we had about 6 know shooting during the moth of July alone......something has gone wrong in this place this gun crime just keeps rising and rising....the gun man them bold became dem letting off in public like no body's business shooting(this is some serious $hit)
  • just asking.. (01/08/2016, 12:28) Like (11) Dislike (2) Reply
    Oh lord and with so much crime they going go independence?
  • Circular.. (01/08/2016, 12:37) Like (4) Dislike (1) Reply
    Sinical behawwiour.....its a trend eh
  • Well Sah (01/08/2016, 12:39) Like (29) Dislike (3) Reply
    Now ayo going to make dr smith purchase a bulletproof vehicle
    • first of all (01/08/2016, 13:02) Like (47) Dislike (2) Reply
      Doc Smith vehicle got into this accident because of the stupidity of idiots firing at another vehicle. Oh man, I am sorry to say this but,just suppose someone was driving by at the time with their children in their car and one if those bullets well you know the rest. These little pants sagging wanna be gangsters/posers Need to be round up and shipped to a Desert Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean surrounded by great white sharks.
      • Agree (01/08/2016, 14:53) Like (14) Dislike (0) Reply
        @First of all. I agree with you. I am glad Doc driver is ok. Suppose the Doc and his wife was in the vehicle when this happened. This is some serious stuff. Look at the girl in ST.Thomas over the weekend, going along her merry way and got gun down by some fool gunning for someone else. All this time she living in the States and nothing happened until
        she came back home.
      • oh yes (01/08/2016, 22:21) Like (4) Dislike (1) Reply
        That would be great. Put all of them on a Island surrounded by killer sharks and let them survive the best way they can for food, water and shelter. They try to escape, they will have to go to war with the sharks.
    • wize up (01/08/2016, 13:16) Like (6) Dislike (3) Reply
      @ well sah....sounds like a plan; most of us might need to invest in bulletproof vehicles at the rate these young man move, these guys just licking off these gun shots at any old time with no regard: gun shot dont respect no one; you could be the right place at the wrong time
  • Z6 (01/08/2016, 13:08) Like (7) Dislike (13) Reply
    Get better family that's my boy.. Don't play with em!!
  • Seeinh (01/08/2016, 13:17) Like (25) Dislike (0) Reply
    The ANIMALS have run amuck . 20 year minimum prison sentence for gun crimes . No questions asked . This has worked in other countries . Have some guts and lock up the garbage. Or soon you wont have a country ...certainly no visitors.
    • wize up (01/08/2016, 16:06) Like (13) Dislike (1) Reply
      @ seeinh....wonderful idea; BUT you have to catch them first before you can send them up for the 20 years and how many of these gun man have been arrested......need to consider taking those bikes off the road???!!!!....Lord help us because if this country was bigger I dont know what would happen(just saying)
  • concerned citizen (01/08/2016, 13:41) Like (24) Dislike (4) Reply
    Mr. Commissioner, please bring in overseas help, this is getting way out of control, and deal with these culprit properly. It is sad what these beautiful islands have become, zero tolerance for gun crime, please please
    • to do what? (01/08/2016, 15:41) Like (10) Dislike (11) Reply
      Sit in an office all day and hang out by all the white owned pubs at night?
    • wize up (01/08/2016, 17:09) Like (14) Dislike (0) Reply
      @ concerned citzen.....be very careful what you wish for but I understand your concerns....would you want to start something better gun man & police man.....what's going on now in BVI is far bigger that what some of us think(money and drugs and guns is a deadly combination).....if you understand that there will be always more criminals than police you will see the bigger picture)....I tell you what, it saddens me to see BVI today; it's far far far different than my childhood day(progress comes at a very high price and we starting to pay that price now)....Dont you wish You could bring back does goes old day; when we did not have much but we had careing villages and love
  • VIlander (01/08/2016, 13:55) Like (26) Dislike (12) Reply
    I have been telling you people this for yrs but the ignorant are louder than the knowledgeable.
    The stiffer penalties for gun crimes don't deter criminal b/c criminals don't respect the laws anyway.
    The way to stop the gun violence is to legalize them with permits.
    When the would be crook knows that the victim will most likely be armed and dangerous that deters them.
    • Idiot (01/08/2016, 19:51) Like (14) Dislike (1) Reply
      No. That is how gun deaths will escalate. Look at guns laws in America and gun death rates. Then look at the Australian experience and compare how that went.
      You can't be a responsible gun owner as well as have a gun for self defence. If you are responsible, it is locked away somewhere and therefore useless for self defence unless the assailant gives you a quick call first to arrange a time for the altercation. If we have a population all armed on the person, that makes us the most backward place in the western world and invites calamity. Instead of ladies having a cat fight there will be the guns, instead of domestic abuse with the fist, foot and penis some of that will be with a gun. These dumb kids will remain armed but within a climate of greater acceptance so that will get worse. All of the police will then need to be armed. That isn't going well for the US either.

      If parents and the community and these little boys themselves would just take responsibility for their stupidity and if people who know what is going on would speak to the police anonymously this all starts to turn a corner. Then we need prosper schools with proper education and support from the family unit.
      Respect our women and don't start sexual relations when they are children and having them have kids when they should be at school and stop treating them like two cent prostitutes. Girls, you also have a role to play there...

      Try to be a proper man and be involved with the children you have fathered. A real man doesn't hide behind a gun to settle differences either. A real man does not have an alias.

      But where else other than schools do our youth get guidance?
      Politicians? They can't seem to account for their actions and expenditure so fairly or unfairly, the people are conditioned to bribes and financial dishonesty being part of the establishment from the top down. We can do better.
      Church? Which one? There ar so many franchises and factions all with their own takes on things so how can they all be right? They also have financial shenanigans and do not account for where the tythes and business income (! Yes, I know. How can they..? I think there was a bit in the bible about churches being commercial enterprises and an unhappy bearded carpenter was involved or something). They also spend inordinate time talking about how people are going to hell and vengeance which was not really the main part of why the bible was written. They talk a lot about slavery which is irrelevant and has been for a long time. We can learn about it but alluding to relevance in BVI is delusional unless we are talking specifically about the black market import of cheap labour by belongers who are denied their rights and live in an indentured manner. They don't seem to talk about that though.
      They talk about homosexuality. The bible, written by men, says it is wrong. But the same book says only God will judge, we should love and respect each other and that slavery is fine and in instances provides some guidance to slave owners. It's almost like there should be some level headed study and discussion of it in context with other historical times written by man. What two consenting adults get up to privately is of no concern or importance when you have kids with no education, no jobs and who shooting each other. What happens to all of the money those places make by the way?

      It is time. It has long been time for people to get a grip and say No. We are not having this society torn apart. We are not going to see our children grow into a life with no self respect, no ambition, no safety and no joy. That's not how we want to be. Financial services and tourism are the only things keeping this place going and if we chase that away, and any other industry which might otherwise flourish (oh yes, we already chase that away with BVI Inv Club and cronyism) and it can happen very quickly, what do we do then? This place would be finished. Start now and emancipate our island from these shackles.
      • VIlander (01/08/2016, 22:04) Like (5) Dislike (8) Reply
        Stop being emotional about it and do some research. What I said is proven fact.
        This EXACTLY WHY WE SHOULDN'T EVEN TALK ABOUT INDEPENDENCE...IGNORANT SET OF FOOLS
  • Nyron 'W.S.I' (01/08/2016, 14:03) Like (2) Dislike (8) Reply
    Well saw what's goes around comes around
  • grench (01/08/2016, 14:27) Like (4) Dislike (2) Reply
    That's a message for the ndp to tackle crime
  • Hmm (01/08/2016, 14:29) Like (3) Dislike (6) Reply
    I wonder if them got money to fix that ride...you know we broke
    • wize up (01/08/2016, 17:13) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
      @ Hmm...you forget that extra 25 mil...we not fixing we upgrading!!!!
  • wow (01/08/2016, 16:14) Like (5) Dislike (1) Reply
    What happen to the cameras up on those traffic lights? Shouldn't the drones have been launched since there was the Festival Village open, and also the Queen Show taking place nearby? The lawlessness of these hoodlums is overbearing!
  • Z6one (01/08/2016, 16:18) Like (5) Dislike (6) Reply
    Get well soon scar...
  • Xxx (01/08/2016, 17:55) Like (5) Dislike (4) Reply
    Who is next?
  • too much (01/08/2016, 19:17) Like (21) Dislike (0) Reply
    Maybe now it has hit close to the Premiere he will get the police patrolling the streets day and night, stop everyone on a scooter and make sure they are legal and search the drivers, its really not that hard to do on a tiny tiny island.
    I love these islands and have called them home for 40 years and the people of the Virgin island are the best in the world BUT its time for the government to come down so hard on violent criminals that they will be wondering what hit them, we can do it, otherwise like ISIS it will grow like a cancer and we will die a painful slow death. No tourists, no trust companies, no investors, no cruise ships, people will go out of business. The community and family members of these thugs must help the police. Also its time to double the amount of police we have.
  • backwards ever (01/08/2016, 19:44) Like (19) Dislike (1) Reply
    This is what happens when we have such a large pool of uneducated, unemployable, and useless sluggards. An NDP government that care little. Then our youths become a burden and embarrassment to society. As a society we have to intentionally seek to reduce the number of people ending up in this human waste heap so they can contribute to society in a positive way.
  • Hmmm... (01/08/2016, 19:56) Like (10) Dislike (0) Reply
    I wonder if the National Security Council have a meeting scheduled......crime is rising and not a peep from the elected officials. There appears to be a criminal element with regards to the some scooter riders...Rep Penn mentioned the lawlessness that has emerged and broken windows theory seems apt for the direction we are going!
  • sooooo (01/08/2016, 22:27) Like (11) Dislike (0) Reply
    Whoever was after him, followed him from ST.Thomas.
  • ......... (01/08/2016, 22:48) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    Wanted for murder in US Virgin Islands. Very interesting...
  • mmm (02/08/2016, 00:24) Like (18) Dislike (0) Reply
    THE DRIVER NEEDS TO BE CHARGE THAT MAN IS WANTED AND ON THIS ISLAND WITHOU PASSING TRU CUSTOMS
  • elagal (02/08/2016, 01:36) Like (4) Dislike (4) Reply
    @too much. which virgin islands people are the best people in the wor;d?in the world? you must be high on something.
  • Shoot (02/08/2016, 07:40) Like (3) Dislike (4) Reply
    you all getto st thomians better keep ayo gettoniss down there. don't come tola with it
  • VG-1 (02/08/2016, 08:04) Like (7) Dislike (1) Reply
    The British Navy needs to come in and impose marshal law in this place . weed out and clean up the filth that has taken over these little islands. Shut everything down , lockup who needs to be locked, up, if need be ... to kill and destroy the cancer that is eating at us. The local Police don't have the skills, man power nor equipment to deal with this. the next thing is why when these punks do there crime in the USVI they always running Tortola? At lease the police here capture and send back ..but if he was in rock he would be a dead man today. Them police down there don't play that.
  • Wasiaire (02/08/2016, 14:04) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
    What U.S. island was he from? If St Coix, there a a lot of them trying to settle here in the BVI, running away from their crimes and running for their lives. Immigration need to ask how long these people will be here when they enter. Usually the ones who say they are staying 30 days are coming to do dirty business here. I am not talking about the elderly or children, Immigration should be able to get a feel that something isn't quite right with the longer stayers. I say give them 2 weeks and this is enough time to check them out if we feel something is not right, so when they come for an extension, we would have their criminal background check on them.
  • shuss (03/08/2016, 15:01) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    I do hope bvi police properly interrogated his shusd. I mean alot of foolishness happening and no one knows how long he was here and what role hr played with any of them. Not sure if USVI will be checking him out for us. There's a lot of people grieving and this was an opportunity to get some answers. I do hope the ball was not dropped on this one.
  • Charge The Driver! (03/08/2016, 22:07) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    This should really charge the driver with aiding and abetting.Which would stop these fools from bringing crimnals into the country in their boats


Create a comment


Create a comment

Disclaimer: Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) welcomes your thoughts, feedback, views, bloggs and opinions. However, by posting a blogg you are agreeing to post comments or bloggs that are relevant to the topic, and that are not defamatory, liable, obscene, racist, abusive, sexist, anti-Semitic, threatening, hateful or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be excluded permanently from making contributions. Please view our declaimer above this article. We thank you in advance for complying with VINO's policy.

Follow Us On

Disclaimer: All comments posted on Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) are the sole views and opinions of the commentators and or bloggers and do not in anyway represent the views and opinions of the Board of Directors, Management and Staff of Virgin Islands News Online and its parent company.