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Sunny. High 86F. Winds E at 10 to 20 mph..

Mostly clear skies early followed by increasing clouds and a few showers later at night. Low 78F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%.

V.I. Police have identified the three men who were shot and killed near a La Grande Princesse smoke shop Tuesday night.

The victims were identified by next of kin as Muhammad Asad, 41; Adil Idheileh, 28; and Angel Diaz, 60, according to a news release from police spokesman Glen Dratte.

The shooting occurred at around 9:10 p.m. on Northside Road, and police arrived and found the three men unresponsive with gunshot wounds.

“Emergency Medical Services Technicians were on the scene and were unable to find a pulse for any of the victims. All three victims were pronounced dead on the scene,” according to police.

Police had scheduled a press conference for 11 a.m. Wednesday, but did not end up broadcasting due to technical difficulties. A recorded video was later uploaded to the department’s Facebook page, in which St. Croix District Police Chief Sean Santos, Deputy Chief Uston Cornelius, and Chief of Detectives Lt. Naomi Joseph asked for the public’s help in solving the crime.

Joseph said the men had just left the smoke shop and locked up for the night when a vehicle approached and the occupants opened fire.

Two bodies were initially found by police, and a third was discovered while officers were canvassing the area, she said.

“We don’t have much more than that at this time that we can share, but we are actively investigating this matter and following all the leads,” Joseph said.

She asked business owners and residents who live in the area of Princesse and Five Corners, heading toward Glynn, and “Sunny Isle East or West, to give us any footage from the time, let’s say 8:30 to 10 p.m. last night that would assist us in being able to follow our suspect-vehicle from point A to point B and back.”

Police did not provide a description of the vehicle, or say how many suspects may have been involved in the shooting.

Police Commissioner Ray Martinez said investigators need tips from the community to help put together a case that will survive scrutiny in court.

“Going to court and just telling the judge, ‘Your Honor, this is the name of the individual that we heard on the street that committed this crime,’ that doesn’t get us an arrest warrant. That doesn’t get us the probable cause to bring this person into court,” Martinez said.

When community members provide tips and evidence, such as surveillance video, “that information helps us to get into court. We need witnesses, we need tangible information, we need evidence that we can put our hands on,” Martinez said.

V.I. Attorney General Denise George did not respond to questions from The Daily News Wednesday about the current status of St. Croix’s morgue, and whether the facility is functioning and being used for autopsies by the Justice Department. But at 8:51 p.m., she issued a belated two-page  statement noting that she wanted to clarify statements attributed to a former medical examiner who resigned last month and was quoted in an "online blog" relative to concerns on the lack of functioning equipment including X-ray machines for locating bullets as well as unsanitary conditions at the Luis Hospital morgue -- and a funeral home chosen as an alternative. 

George's defense was that her department does not own the morgues at either Luis or Schneider hospitals, citing a decades-long partnership, by law, for her department's medical examiners to use these facilities.

Former Attorney General Claude Walker, prior to leaving office in 2019, secured and opened the agency's own morgue on St. Thomas, and in her statement Wednesday George highlighted the facility.

"Because the STX ME deemed the JFL Morgue and the alternative funeral home unsuitable to perform autopsies, there are no suitable locations on St. Croix to perform the autopsies. Autopsies are therefore performed at the Medical Examiner Office on St.

Thomas by two MEs," George wrote. "This can clearly cause some inconvenience, but it is the best and only reasonable solution, albeit temporary, until the St. Croix Medical Examiner facility is ready."

According to George, plans are underway for a fully equipped modular St. Croix Medical Examiner Office facility including

a morgue and autopsy suite.

"It has been deemed a 'public exigency' procurement expected to be completed expeditiously," George said. 

She, however, could not be reached for an expected completion dated as opposed to noting it would be done "expeditiously" and why this longtime problem was only now a matter of public exigency.

Police meantime asked anyone with information about the triple homicide or other crimes is urged to call 911, the Criminal Investigation Bureau Tipline at 340-778-4950, or the anonymous tip service, Crime Stoppers USVI at 800-222-8477.

- Contact Suzanne Carlson at 340-714-9122 or email scarlson@dailynews.vi.

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