Fort Pierce - Thursday January 19, 2023: Frederick Lamart Johnson Jr., identified as a person of interest in Monday afternoon's MLK Day shooting, turned himself in at the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office Wednesday afternoon, not long after a news conference during which Chief Sheriff Deputy Brian Hester announced that Johnson was wanted for questioning about the tragic event.
Chief Deputy Hester said Johnson "was there when it happened," and "we want to get him into custody and obviously we want to talk to him.”
However, on the Facebook page of Fred L. Johnson Jr., in a more than 10 minute rant, laced with profanity, Johnson said he was not at the event during which one woman was killed and 7 others injured by gunfire.
In the post Johnson can be heard saying: "I didn't go to the parade or the car show" and "I was in the house all ... day." He said "I'm going to go turn myself in, but when I get done ... I'm suing the whole ... Department for defamation of character." The Facebook post can be heard here. Discretion is advised because of language content.
The 27-year-old Johnson was arrested and jailed on an outstanding warrant for a parole violation on a prior felony drug charge, un-related to the MLK Day shooting.
The woman who was killed has been identified as 29 year old Nikkitia Bryant of Fort Pierce. She was with her 9-year-old child at the event when she was shot. She died the following morning at Longwood Hospital.
“Nikkitia Bryant was an innocent person with her child enjoying that family event," said SLC Chief Deputy Hester during the Wednesday news conference. "She was shot because some individual, with no concern or care for others, or their lives, decided they wanted to shot someone over a dispute.”
Two of the seven others hit by the gunfire were still in the hospital, in stable condition, as of Wednesday. The other 5 gunshot victims have been released. Chief Deputy Hester said none of those who were shot or injured Monday are considered suspects.
“There is no victim that was shot that we’re interest in right. As far as I know the victims didn’t have anything to do with it," he said. "They were just standing wherever they were standing when the incident broke out and were hit by stray bullets.”
VIEW the Wednesday news conference held by SLC Sheriff Chief Deputy Brian Hester HERE> https://fb.watch/v/4qRseJ4_J/.
Hester also said authorities do not now believe that the incident was caused by two gangs looking to rumble. Rather it was two or more people who happened to be gang members and got into an argument, and then pulled out their guns.
“We going to make every gang member and their gang, their life miserable, until we put these people that are responsible for this in jail, you’re not going to be safe if you’re a gang member.," " said Chief Deputy Hester.
Anyone with any information about the shooting is asked to call the Sheriff at 772-462-3230 or call Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-800-273-8477.