A 31-year-old real estate professional was killed outside her St. Croix residence late Saturday after being ambushed by two gunmen, police said.
Torae Sanders was shot multiple times in the upper body when the assailants approached her vehicle as she pulled into her Estate Rattan driveway at around 11:48 p.m., according to the Virgin Islands Police Department. The two unidentified attackers fired several rounds before escaping into the surrounding area.
Emergency responders transported Sanders to Gov. Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center in Estate Ruby, where medical staff worked to save her life. She died shortly after arrival.
Sanders held a real estate license and worked for Coldwell Banker St. Croix Realty out of their Gallows Bay office. She had relocated to St. Croix in 2023 from New York, where she was raised in Virginia, to raise her two daughters and pursue a career in residential real estate. Those who worked with her characterized her as committed to helping both newcomers and longtime residents locate homes on the island.
The killing represents the 28th homicide on St. Croix in 2026 and the 46th across the US Virgin Islands territory. The shooting occurred less than 20 hours before another fatal incident on St. Thomas: 39-year-old visitor Evan Haynes Jr. from Ohio was killed in a predawn vehicular pursuit on Hull Bay Road.
The Major Crimes Unit is handling the investigation. Police are seeking information from anyone who witnessed the shooting, saw suspicious vehicles, or noticed activity in Estate Rattan late Saturday evening. Tipsters can reach the Criminal Investigation Bureau at 340-778-2211, call Crime Stoppers USVI anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or dial 911.
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