U.S. Virgin Islands- Arrest Made in 2023 St. John Jewelry Store Shooting and Robbery

St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands – April 7, 2024 – A man has been arrested in connection with a robbery and attempted murder at a local jewelry store, according to the Virgin Islands Police Department. The incident, which took place on Thursday, May 18, 2023, around 2:00 p.m., occurred at a jewelry store in Cruz Bay, where the store owner was shot in the face.

According to the VIPD, two unidentified males entered the establishment, and during the robbery, one of the suspects shot the owner. The assailants then fled the scene with an unspecified amount of jewelry. The injured business owner was subsequently transported to the Schneider Regional Medical Center for medical attention.

The investigation into the violent crime led to the identification of 21-year-old Jamari Gumbs as one of the suspects involved. A warrant for Gumbs’s arrest was issued on Friday, April 5, 2024, and was executed the following day.

Gumbs faces a slew of charges, including first, second and third-degree robbery, first-degree attempted murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm during a crime of violence, aiding and abetting, possession of an unlicensed firearm within 1,000 Ft. of a park, public school, and conspiracy.

Gumbs was unable to post the set bail of $250,000 and was remanded to the Bureau of Corrections pending an advise of rights hearing.

The redacted article above (to remove the name of the jewelry store that was targeted) was written by the staff of the U.S. Virgin Islands Consortium. The original, unredacted article can be viewed here.

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