Latifa Raimer dies in fatal St. Thomas shooting

Latifa Raimer dies in fatal St. Thomas shooting

Fatal St. Thomas shooting death of Latifa Raimer – Obituary

Latifa Raimer, 33, also known as Latifah Raimer, was shot and left outside the emergency room of Schneider Regional Medical Center on Tuesday night in St. Thomas. Police later charged her boyfriend, Dana Joseph Jr., 35, with her murder early Wednesday morning.

Surveillance footage showed a dark-colored Acura pulling up to the hospital around 8:30 p.m. A man in a white shirt, later identified as Joseph, exited the vehicle, pulled Raimer from the passenger seat, and left her on the ground before driving off. Authorities said Raimer had suffered a fatal gunshot wound.

An officer who viewed the footage recognized Joseph as a former high school classmate and contacted him. Joseph agreed to surrender and was taken into custody near the WAPA tanks in Sub Base around 2 a.m. the next morning. Officers noted that Joseph appeared distraught and had dried blood on his body and clothing. Evidence suggested Raimer was shot inside the vehicle.

Joseph now faces multiple charges, including murder, assault, possession of an unlicensed firearm, and using a dangerous weapon during a crime. He was remanded to custody pending a court hearing.

Investigators revealed the couple had been in a volatile six-year relationship. Family members described their bond as troubled and recalled a previous violent incident in August 2024 when Joseph allegedly fired shots at Raimer’s home due to jealousy.

Despite past violence, Raimer had been staying with Joseph in Nisky for about a week leading up to her death. The two reportedly left together Tuesday evening to give a friend a ride, but within two hours, Raimer was fatally wounded.

Her death marks the 13th homicide in the U.S. Virgin Islands this year and the sixth in St. Thomas, based on records from the Source Homicide List.