The Virgin Islands Police Department is investigating a violent attack on a minor as a potential hate crime following the circulation of video footage showing the assault, authorities confirmed this week.
Two individuals can be seen in the recording standing over the victim on an outdoor paved surface at night, repeatedly kicking and striking him. As the attack unfolds, the young person curls to one side with his arms shielding his head, then moves to get up while his attackers remain positioned above him. A second video clip depicts him sitting on the pavement, blood around his mouth, with his hands raised as onlookers gather nearby.
The Criminal Investigation Bureau and Juvenile Bureau have located and identified both the victim and the suspects, all minors, police said. No additional identifying information was released.
Governor Albert Bryan Jr. responded with a written statement on Wednesday expressing alarm at the footage. He instructed the VIPD and the Virgin Islands Department of Justice to pursue a complete investigation and work with federal counterparts to assess whether hate-crime charges apply, particularly if the assault targeted the victim based on his actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.
"I was shocked and deeply disturbed by what I saw in that video," Bryan stated. "No young person should ever experience that kind of brutality and humiliation. Violence against someone because of who they are, or who others believe them to be, is intolerable."
The governor pledged that his administration would "support pursuing this matter to the fullest extent of the law" and work with local and federal partners to examine every available path to accountability. He urged the victim and his family to report to law enforcement and called on witnesses and those holding recordings to hand evidence directly to police. He also appealed to parents, educators, clergy and community groups to actively challenge bullying and discrimination.
Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett released her own statement Wednesday, also demanding an investigation under the territory's Hate-Motivated Crimes Act. She stressed that the community must confront violence involving young people and address the recording and sharing of violent content.
"All of our children matter. Every one of them is part of our community, and every one of them deserves to grow up safe, free to be exactly who they are," Plaskett said. "An attack on one of our young people because of who they are is an attack on all of us and on the values of respect and family that define us as Virgin Islanders."
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