St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands – On Thursday, September 24, 2026, at approximately 5:42 p.m., the 911 Emergency Call Center received a call from a female at the Lorraine Village Apartments in Estate Grove Place reporting that she had found a 16-year-old male unresponsive and not breathing inside the apartment.
Virgin Islands Police Department officers and Virgin Islands Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel responded to the scene and confirmed that the 16-year-old male was unresponsive.
Preliminary investigation indicates that the male was found hanging inside the residence. The circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation.
The deceased was identified by next of kin as 16-year-old Jathan Gifford.
This remains an active investigation. The official cause and manner of death are pending the findings of the Medical Examiner.
