A 17-year-old was fatally shot Friday night at Garcia’s boat ramp in Indian River County after he approached a pickup truck and opened its door while attempting to fight with two people inside, Sheriff Eric Flowers said Monday.
The shooting happened after a meetup involving about 100 teenagers and young adults, ranging in age from about 14 to 19, Flowers said. Authorities had earlier broken up a gathering of teens that evening before the group moved to the boat ramp.
Flowers said the teenagers at the meetup were drinking and fighting, and some were recording the fights for social media.
“Folks, we got kids out here losing their lives, chasing likes and shares on social media,” Flowers said. “We've got kids out here losing their lives trying to go viral on social media.”
According to Flowers, the 17-year-old, who he said was about 6 feet, 4 inches tall, approached the truck with a group of friends. Two 18-year-olds were inside.
“The 17-year-old opens the door and he starts to punch,” Flowers said. “He's going to punch on the people that are inside of that truck.”
One shot was fired, striking the 17-year-old. His friends drove him east on State Road 512 and were directed by 911 dispatchers to stop at Fellsmere City Hall, where emergency responders met them and performed CPR.
The teenager was taken to Sebastian Hospital and later transported to Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, where he died from his injuries, Flowers said.
No arrests had been made as of Monday. Flowers said the preliminary investigation indicates the shooter may claim self-defense because the 17-year-old was attempting to initiate a physical confrontation.
“The shooter, the driver of that vehicle have both been very cooperative,” Flowers said. “They turned over the weapon. They turned over the truck. They've been talking to our detectives all weekend.”
Flowers said investigators will submit a warrant in the case, but ultimately the decision on whether charges are filed will rest with the state.
Investigators identified the people inside the truck using Flock cameras, according to Flowers. He said other people involved in the incident have also been identified, while investigators are still working to identify additional witnesses and participants.
Deputies recovered other firearms from the vehicle where the 17-year-old had been, Flowers said. Investigators also recovered the pickup truck involved in the shooting.
Flowers showed reporters two videos of the shooting during the news conference and said investigators believe other teenagers recorded the incident. The sheriff's office is asking anyone who witnessed the shooting in person or has additional video to contact investigators.
The sheriff also showed video of a separate fight at Garcia’s boat ramp that he said occurred before the shooting. He said investigators have not identified the people involved in that fight.
Flowers said gatherings of teenagers, which he referred to as meetups or “grove parties,” are not a new phenomenon, but he said the presence of firearms and social media has changed the potential consequences.
“These kids are shooting out there,” Flowers said. “We have multiple different shell casings. We have multiple different rounds that are being fired out there throughout the course of this.”
Flowers urged parents to find out where their teenagers are going if they say they are attending one of the meetups. He said locations are being shared through Snapchat and encouraged parents to provide investigators with information about planned gatherings.
“All of these incidents, the locations of the meetups are being shared on Snapchat,” Flowers said. “That's how they're setting their locations.”
Flowers said investigators want to receive information about planned gatherings before they happen.
The sheriff said the shooting reflects a broader trend involving teenagers, alcohol, fights, guns and social media.
“It's not the bonfire of the old days,” Flowers said. “It's not the hanging out and drinking, and maybe you get in a fight, but nobody knows about it, and you go home.”
He said similar gatherings and incidents have occurred in Okeechobee and elsewhere.
“There was one that happened in Okeechobee,” Flowers said. “There's one that's happening all over, and it's a very dangerous trend that is happening in our country right now with our teens.”