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Pastor Salmon urged HoA members to look into crime & violence

-Pastor’s daughter’s vehicle hit during Free Bottom shooting
Pastor Winston Salmon has made an urgent plea to members of the House of Assembly to look deeper into crime and violence in the Virgin Islands. Pastor Salmon’s daughter’s vehicle was hit during a shooting incident in Free Bottom on Wednesday, August 21, 2024. Photo: YouTube
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- Pastor Winston Salmon has made an urgent plea to members of the House of Assembly (HoA) to take a deeper look into crime and violence in the Virgin Islands, before offering the opening prayer of the Eighteenth Sitting of the First Session of the Fifth House of Assembly on Thursday, August 22, 2024.

Pastor Salmon’s plea comes on the heels of his daughter’s vehicle being caught in the line of fire during a shooting incident in Free Bottom on Wednesday, August 21, 2024.

“I would like to take one minute to ask this House to look at the crime and violence around us. Just beside my house yesterday a house was shoot up and my daughter vehicle get shoot up in that. I want to ask us to take a look into that crime and violence that’s going on in this country, it’s very, very serious, very, very serious,” he told the HoA.

According to information from the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF), officers responded to a report of shots fired at a home in the Free Bottom area after 2 p.m. on Wednesday.

While no individuals were present when the officers arrived, they recovered spent shells at the scene and proceeded to securing it.

The incident is currently being investigated by detectives.

Meanwhile, in addressing the incident, Acting Commissioner of Police Jacqueline E. Vanterpool stated, "In response to this serious matter, the Police have engaged the Crisis Intervention Team to offer much-needed support to the residents of the home involved and to others in the community. Additionally, we have increased our security measures by maintaining an armed patrol presence in the area to ensure the safety and well-being of all residents."

This was the second shooting incident reported in two days. During the early hours of Tuesday morning, August 20, 2024, reports of shots fired in Purcell Estate were made. Investigations into that incident is also ongoing.

18 Responses to “Pastor Salmon urged HoA members to look into crime & violence”

  • PASTOR ❓️???? (23/08/2024, 09:08) Like (8) Dislike (1) Reply
    ARE YOU SURE ❓️???? WE 3 PASTORS FROM CANE GARDEN BAY /THAY WILL SWEAR ON THEIR BIBLES THAT THERE IS ABSOLUTELY ( NO - DRUGS - NO GUNS - NO MURDERS - AND NOTHING NAME CORRUPTION IN OR ON THIS * HOLY LAND * SO WHAT YOU KNOW THAT THEY REFUSED TO SEE AND TO
    ADMIT THE GOLPEL TRUTH / REMEMBER ITS HYPOCRITES LIKE THOSE WHO CRUCIFIED ~ JESUS ~ SO WATCH YOUR BACK BRO / REMEMBER WHO GOT CRUCIFIED FOR EXPOSING THE BRUTAL EXECUTION STYLE KILLING IN FISH BAY ON VIDEO , WELL IT WASN'T THE KILLERS , AND THE KILLING IS GOING ON AS USUALL AND ALL WE CAN DO READ ABOUT IT AND LIFE GOES ON AS IF NOTHING HAPPENED
  • Robert Dean (23/08/2024, 09:18) Like (9) Dislike (0) Reply
    This incident is a wake-up call, showing that the crime situation is becoming more complicated and threatening the security of the community.
    smash karts
    • Lucifer (23/08/2024, 10:42) Like (22) Dislike (3) Reply
      SELLFISH!!! His daughter's car being shot up is no wake-up call. We have been experiencing these wake-up calls for years and they are treated as an everyday occurrence. Why hasn't he been speaking out regularly about our neighborhood crime? His daughter is NOT more important than ALL of us! Welcome to our world. Let us see how active he becomes for ALL of us who pay tithes and offerings.
      • Sickening (23/08/2024, 13:06) Like (6) Dislike (7) Reply
        He was given an opportunity to speak and he used it. When you are given ops to speak you all do not want to be rats so shut up now.
        • Greg (23/08/2024, 18:14) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
          @ Sickening. You need to shut your ignorant mouth! Being a Pastor, he has had many opportunities and years to speak on our grave gun and crime situations here and he did not. Only when it hit home did he speak out, including you, bottom feeder!
  • Really??? (23/08/2024, 09:30) Like (24) Dislike (2) Reply
    Young men are getting killed regularly, and the Pastors have nothing to say. Someone scrapes his daughter’s car, and up he pops in the HoA telling us how bad things are. Putting possessions ahead of people is not the way of the Lord. Go siddung and don’t come back until you care about the people more than the things.
  • gg (23/08/2024, 10:12) Like (11) Dislike (5) Reply
    Again I am calling on the governor to send the entire senior management of the police force on leave, get people who can run this thing, these waste of time feel the rvipf belongs to them so they can pick and choose who to put where and by all means choosing their cronies who cant get $hi+ done, have the whole place in a mess, they don't have a clue, they don't have a plan, they have NOTHING.
  • 2024 (23/08/2024, 11:01) Like (13) Dislike (1) Reply
    until the stop & search is reinforced we will continue having these issues in our territory

    the ease at which these gunmen can move about without fear of being intercepted is mind blowing

    under Frazer & Malone we did not had such ridiculousness.

    these days u can be out with your love ones and get caught in crossfire



  • Hiding (23/08/2024, 11:38) Like (1) Dislike (2) Reply
    Where are the UK governor and UK police chief?
  • 2017 west end shooting (23/08/2024, 12:21) Like (8) Dislike (0) Reply
    Changed nothing cause the killing continues while many stay silent until it reaches their doorstep.
  • Native Senior Citizen of the British Virgin Islands (23/08/2024, 12:26) Like (6) Dislike (1) Reply
    Pastor, Winston Salmon, serious crimes been practice and being practice are neither "Jonny come late" nor Janice to come soon thing. Serious crimes have occurred from the time of slavery in the BVI.
    You have lived here in the BVI in excess of 1 decade, maybe 2. How come only since a bullet or more structured your daughter vehicle that you have decided to speak out against the ongoing problem? As a Pastor it is your duty to pray against the ongoing works of evil in all it's forms, not to confront it only when it suits you.

    My advice to you is that you stop trying to big up yourself, instead, let God big you up.

    Pray for peace for all people everywhere.
  • for real (23/08/2024, 13:14) Like (5) Dislike (1) Reply
    We never realize how important good health is until we get sick, we never realize how important freedom is until we are confined. Pastor Salmon is speaking to the right people (policies makers) and if they are wise, they would take this serious. The BVI is one of the only country in the world where a politician can walk down the road casually, attend church, sport meet, sit at a bar etc without looking over their shoulder. Now this is something that is needed to be preserved. Wake up.
    • moon (25/08/2024, 18:48) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      This is possible because the BVI is an Island full of love , and every one is family , so there is no need for our Politicians to live in fear and walk around with body guards. Is only when you have things to hide you walk around with body gurds. Look what happened to the man who thought he was larger than life , and got body gurds. He is doing eleven years behind bars.
  • Big Richard (23/08/2024, 14:13) Like (1) Dislike (7) Reply

    UK please step in as this place is becoming Haiti

  • hypocrite (24/08/2024, 10:05) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    So if it wasn't his daughter's vehicle he wasn't going to speak up?
    • moon (25/08/2024, 19:01) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Sunday after sunday he preaches not one word about how we can solve the crime problem in this country , but because his daughter's car was involved he in the peoples house backing like a mad dog. I have had it up to here with all these money hungry pastors. These days its all about the mighty dollar they done care about the community or its people. Now are days thats the easiest way to make money just say you are a pastor find a hole to preach and you will be rich. Thank God i read the bible for my self , so when all these power hundry pastors that God never called put up shop i dont have to run and sit under their covering. Most of these pastors cant control their ho.es , but they want to come preach to the masses. May God help us and open our eyes to see the truth so we xan know what is fake and what is real.
  • ReslPol (24/08/2024, 21:26) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    We Virgin Islanders and residents seem to put blinders on and ignore problems circulating around us,,hoping that others will tackle and arrest. However, when the problem hits close to home in our backyard, we seem to find voice and can detail what is wrong with the community, suggesting then that UK should come in and take over. We don’t need that type of behavior and attitude in the VI and those that have them only care about themselves and are opportunist, hypocrites, etc..And I don’t want to hear it is not my country, so I keep quiet. Then shut your trap and be quiet and LIAT is running again..Do something or shut the hell up. You are either part of the problem , part of the problem or hands off. What are you?


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