A suspected robber was fatally shot during an attempted robbery in St Thomas in the early hours of Saturday, police said.

According to the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD), the incident unfolded shortly after 1 am on March 21, when officers responded to a report of an armed robbery.

A victim told police he had been robbed by several men dressed in black and wearing face masks.

One of the suspects was armed with a long rifle, while others carried handguns.

The suspects reportedly stole several items before fleeing the area in a grey SUV.

About an hour later, at approximately 2:37 am, police received reports of another attempted robbery in the Red Hook area.

Authorities said a man, dressed in black with his face covered and armed with a long gun, exited a grey SUV and attempted to pull a chain from a victim’s neck.

The ShotSpotter detection system then recorded multiple gunshots in the area.Police said officers later found an unresponsive man on the roadway with multiple gunshot wounds.

Investigations revealed that the man was the suspected robber who had approached the victim with the rifle and was shot by the intended victim.

Emergency medical technicians responded to the scene and confirmed that the man had no signs of life.

Police said the identity of the deceased has not yet been confirmed, as investigators work to notify next of kin.

The investigation is ongoing.