The Indian River County Sheriff's Office is investigating the shooting death of a 22-year-old man from Fort Pierce. Sheriff Eric Flowers held a news conference Monday where he told reporters the 22-year-old man was shot multiple times in an empty parking lot off Old Dixie Highway, just down the road from the Players Pool Lounge in Gifford.Flowers said a large crowd of people were gathered in the parking lot when shots were fired. Someone leaving the lounge was passing by the scene when they saw the victim and called 911. "We've had two young men in their 20s, African American men within a mile of each other, killed in the Gifford area," Flowers said. He said there were over a hundred people in the area at the time of the shooting, but no one has come forward. "Then, all of a sudden, when somebody gets shot, nobody wants to talk to us. There's nobody out there who witnessed anything, nobody saw anything and so it's really a tragedy," he added. Flowers explained the need for witnesses when a homicide occurs and the damage it does to an investigation when people refuse to talk. As for a motive, he said he can't comment on that yet. "Unfortunately, this is one of those things where you have young people who think they're in a gang or they think that they're part of this cool lifestyle that they see on TV and it's just not, it's not real," he said. "People end up dead. People end up hurt and injured. And it really becomes a tragedy when parents are burying young kids."Flowers was asked if this homicide had any ties to gang activity and said not exactly. "I don't know that it has ties directly back to Crips or Bloods or anything like that," he said. "You'll have a group of kids that grow up on 33rd Street, for example, and they'll say, 'We're the 33rd Street boys.' It doesn't mean they're necessarily gang-affiliated."He said this homicide and another case from a few weeks ago where 24-year-old Robert Trusty was killed have some similarities, but he can't confirm if they are connected."We don't have a way to connect it at the moment, but I would say that there are definitely people in common," Flowers said. Officials don't have a clear suspect in either case and are asking for the public's help.Flowers said people can submit anonymous tips through Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers."There's absolutely plenty of ways to not only be anonymous, but also receive good money as a result of coming forward with this information," he added.He said they appreciate all information, but asks the community to be patient because sometimes the information has to come directly from people who witnessed the crime or have evidence. "We have ways to protect witnesses. If you're somebody who saw something, knows something, absolutely we can put you up somewhere out of town in a hotel," Flowers said. "We'll make you disappear out of town so that nobody knows, and you can come back and testify."Anyone with information is asked to contact the Indian River County Sheriff's Office at 772-569-6700 or Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers at 800-273-8477.This is a developing story.Top headlines:Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25 Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Fla. —
The Indian River County Sheriff's Office is investigating the shooting death of a 22-year-old man from Fort Pierce.
Sheriff Eric Flowers held a news conference Monday where he told reporters the 22-year-old man was shot multiple times in an empty parking lot off Old Dixie Highway, just down the road from the Players Pool Lounge in Gifford.
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Flowers said a large crowd of people were gathered in the parking lot when shots were fired.
Someone leaving the lounge was passing by the scene when they saw the victim and called 911.
"We've had two young men in their 20s, African American men within a mile of each other, killed in the Gifford area," Flowers said.
He said there were over a hundred people in the area at the time of the shooting, but no one has come forward.
"Then, all of a sudden, when somebody gets shot, nobody wants to talk to us. There's nobody out there who witnessed anything, nobody saw anything and so it's really a tragedy," he added.
Flowers explained the need for witnesses when a homicide occurs and the damage it does to an investigation when people refuse to talk.
As for a motive, he said he can't comment on that yet.
"Unfortunately, this is one of those things where you have young people who think they're in a gang or they think that they're part of this cool lifestyle that they see on TV and it's just not, it's not real," he said. "People end up dead. People end up hurt and injured. And it really becomes a tragedy when parents are burying young kids."
Flowers was asked if this homicide had any ties to gang activity and said not exactly.
"I don't know that it has ties directly back to Crips or Bloods or anything like that," he said. "You'll have a group of kids that grow up on 33rd Street, for example, and they'll say, 'We're the 33rd Street boys.' It doesn't mean they're necessarily gang-affiliated."
He said this homicide and another case from a few weeks ago where 24-year-old Robert Trusty was killed have some similarities, but he can't confirm if they are connected.
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"We don't have a way to connect it at the moment, but I would say that there are definitely people in common," Flowers said.
Officials don't have a clear suspect in either case and are asking for the public's help.
Flowers said people can submit anonymous tips through Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers.
"There's absolutely plenty of ways to not only be anonymous, but also receive good money as a result of coming forward with this information," he added.
He said they appreciate all information, but asks the community to be patient because sometimes the information has to come directly from people who witnessed the crime or have evidence.
"We have ways to protect witnesses. If you're somebody who saw something, knows something, absolutely we can put you up somewhere out of town in a hotel," Flowers said. "We'll make you disappear out of town so that nobody knows, and you can come back and testify."
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Indian River County Sheriff's Office at 772-569-6700 or Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers at 800-273-8477.
This is a developing story.
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Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25
Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.
