{"id":124996,"date":"2026-01-20T15:42:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T15:42:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/124996\/"},"modified":"2026-01-20T15:42:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T15:42:09","slug":"inside-the-fort-pierce-marketplace-ambush-new-evidence-safety-lessons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/124996\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the Fort Pierce Marketplace ambush: New evidence, safety lessons"},"content":{"rendered":"

FORT PIERCE, Fla. (CBS12) \u2014 New details are emerging in a Facebook Marketplace meetup<\/a> that turned violent in Fort Pierce, as investigators confirm the shooting was an ambush-style attack and law enforcement urges residents to rethink where they meet strangers online.<\/p>\n

The shooting happened around 1:15 p.m. Sunday on the 3600 block of Avenue R, according to the St. Lucie County Sheriff\u2019s Office (SLCSO).<\/p>\n

Detectives say an individual arrived at the location to complete an online transaction involving an iPhone, but the encounter quickly escalated into gunfire. Four people were shot and transported to HCA Lawnwood Hospital.<\/p>\n

Deputies say two of the victims underwent surgery Sunday, while two others required surgery Monday. All four are expected to make a full recovery.<\/p>\n

\"Four<\/p>\n

Four people were shot Sunday afternoon after an online marketplace transaction turned into a violent ambush in Fort Pierce. (SLCSO)<\/p>\n

Investigators believe at least five people were involved. One person remains at large, though deputies have not clarified that individual\u2019s role.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis wasn\u2019t a random thing,\u201d Undersheriff John Bolduc said. \u201cThis was a robbery of a transaction gone bad.\u201d<\/p>\n

As detectives worked through the night, crime scene technicians recovered approximately 30 shell casings and two firearms from the scene. Investigators also executed a search warrant at a nearby home on North 37th Street, where they believe one of the shooters fled. Inside the residence, deputies recovered additional firearms, including one that may have been used in the shooting.<\/p>\n

See also: Alleged kidnappers of Uber driver who then went on crime spree held without bond<\/a><\/p>\n

Bolduc said the investigation continues to evolve as new evidence is uncovered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re still finding shell casings in the grass around that particular area,\u201d he said. \u201cAs it evolves, we keep finding different rabbit holes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Neighbors say the violence is unsettling \u2014 especially given how routine online marketplace meetups have become.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s actually unfortunate that everything happened, because I use Facebook Marketplace a lot,\u201d one neighbor said. \u201cYou never really know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Authorities say incidents tied to online transactions are not isolated. Just months ago, Riviera Beach police arrested a man accused of robbing a seller at gunpoint, stealing a $10,000 Cartier watch during a Facebook Marketplace meetup.<\/p>\n

\"In<\/p>\n

In response to Sunday\u2019s shooting, deputies are again urging residents to use Safe Exchange Zones when buying or selling items online. The St. Lucie County Sheriff\u2019s Office offers designated parking spaces outside its headquarters that are open to the public and monitored by 24-hour video surveillance. (WPEC)<\/p>\n

In response to Sunday\u2019s shooting, deputies are again urging residents to use Safe Exchange Zones when buying or selling items online. The St. Lucie County Sheriff\u2019s Office offers designated parking spaces outside its headquarters that are open to the public and monitored by 24-hour video surveillance.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re going to do a transaction with people that you don\u2019t know, go to a safe location,\u201d Bolduc said.<\/p>\n

The investigation remains active. Anyone with information is asked to contact SLCSO.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"FORT PIERCE, Fla. (CBS12) \u2014 New details are emerging in a Facebook Marketplace meetup that turned violent in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":124997,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[171,173,172],"class_list":["post-124996","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-port-st-lucie","tag-port-st-lucie","tag-port-st-lucie-headlines","tag-port-st-lucie-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124996","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=124996"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124996\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/124997"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=124996"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=124996"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=124996"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}