One of two young men shot May 2 has died as officials continue searching for the alleged gunman, according to Port St. Lucie Police on May 4.
Shot in the head, Antoine Meyers, 19, succumbed to his injuries following the incident that apparently happened inside a vehicle. Jermonti Johnson, also 19, was wounded by gunfire.
Officers around 6:36 p.m. May 2 went to the 1600 Block of Northwest St. Lucie West Boulevard in St. Lucie West after reports of a shooting, police have said.
When investigators arrived, they found Meyers and Johnson with gunshot wounds inside a white Tesla.
Police on May 3 reported Meyers was in grave condition, though Johnson was expected to recover.
Sharlett Key, 18, of Port St. Lucie, and Martravious Blue Jr., 19, of Fort Pierce, were arrested, but the alleged shooter, 18-year-old Norrien Morris Casminski, of Fort Pierce, remains at large.
Key was held May 4 in the St. Lucie County Jail on $75,000 bond, while Blue was held on $1.3 million bond, according to the St. Lucie County sheriff’s office.
Police Chief Leo Niemczyk May 3 said Meyers and Johnson were in some sort of “business transaction … with the suspects that had been going on for some period of time.”
“It began in Fort Pierce at a Walmart, as it appears to us, it was over cell phones where our victims were attempting to have the suspects buy cell phones for them, and then they were looking to go to a location where they could get those phones activated,” Niemczyk said.
The “victims were involved in some activities of their own and had interest in having these cell phones not in their name,” Niemczyk said.
Niemczyk said it appears the suspects decided to rob the victims and take their money and cell phones rather than having them activated.
He said Key reportedly drove the other two alleged suspects around Fort Pierce and away from the scene.
“She is familiar with the two suspects because they’re friendly with another friend of hers,” Niemczyk said.
Niemczyk noted the risky behavior involved.
“These gentlemen were not involved in productive activity,” he said. “They were out there trying to obtain these cell phone equipment for less than ethical reasons, and I think that when you live that type of lifestyle and you engage other people who have criminal histories and pasts to do bidding for you, I think you’re taking unnecessary risks.”
A Port St. Lucie Police spokesperson did not immediately return a call the afternoon of May 4.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Man dead after shooting in Florida; alleged gunman still at large
Reporting by Will Greenlee, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Related