News, Tips & Bargains : New Report on Caribbean Slaying

Authorities in the U.S. Virgin Islands have corrected their initial reports on the shooting death of a California tourist, reported in last week’s Travel section, who was killed by a mugger April 10 on St. Thomas.

According to the updated reports, Murray Callan of San Diego and two friends were walking to a video store from their hotel, Bluebeard’s Castle, when they were jumped by two masked men demanding money. Before Callan, 69, had a chance to respond, he was shot once and died on the way to the hospital.

The three were on a main thoroughfare and were not taking a shortcut through a public housing project as reported earlier, police admitted after the victim’s son asked for a revised report. And James O’Bryan Jr., press secretary to Gov. Alexander A. Farrelly of the Virgin Islands, said Callan did not refuse to give up his money. “He did not have a chance to speak at all,” O’Bryan said.

Callan’s son, Glen, who flew to St. Thomas after his father was killed, said the senior Callan had taken the trip at his urging. “I was totally unaware that St. Thomas was dangerous,” he said last week. “Something should be done so that no one has to go through this horrifying experience. He wasn’t walking where he wasn’t supposed to, and he had not been warned about going out at night.”