Don't let deadly MLK Day shooting in Fort Pierce's Lincoln Park neighborhood be forgotten

Editorial Board
·4 min read
5

Let's start with the obvious: No amount of gun violence anywhere on the Treasure Coast is acceptable.

That said, it's particularly difficult to come to terms with the shooting Jan. 16 at Fort Pierce's Ilous Ellis Park. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a holiday set aside to honor a civil rights activist who preached nonviolence, one or more shooters began spraying bullets into a crowd that had gathered for the MLK Car Show and Family Fun Day.

Seven people were wounded and one woman, 29-year-old Nikkitia Bryant, died in the shootout.

These victims weren't "gang bangers" caught up in some underworld war. They were just ordinary people trying to enjoy a wholesome event where gunplay should have been the last thing on everybody's minds.

More than a month and a half have passed since the shooting. Until we asked Thursday, the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office, which took the lead investigating the incident because it occurred in a county park, hadn't released much new information on the case.

More:Martin Luther King Jr. Day incident not 'random mass shooting,' sheriff says

OpinionDon't let Martin Luther King Day shooting mask progress Fort Pierce has made

More:New details discussed in MLK Day shootings at Ilous Ellis Park in Fort Pierce

Chief Deputy Brian Hester explained:

"We struggled with getting eyewitnesses to come forward," Hester said of the agency's challenges early on, adding things have progressed over the past few weeks. "We're in a good place right now."

The hope justice might be coming is a positive sign.

Still, it seems incredible that out of all those crowded into the park that day, the Sheriff's Office had a tough time finding many people who saw or heard anything conclusive to help crack this case quickly.

It could be some folks have information that could help, but they have been reluctant to come forward. This could be because witnesses fear retaliation from the perpetrators or their friends.

It's true there have been other shootings in Fort Pierce before and since the MLK Day incident, but apathy in the wake of such events would be callous and wrong-headed.

It's admirable there have been discussions about adding cameras in parks, which Hester said would occur, and increasing security at public events.

Community activists Will Armstead and Larry Lee are planning to build a teen center in Lincoln Park, with hopes that could keep at least some of the neighborhood's young people from falling into lives of crime and violence.

Fort Pierce native Glennis Chester, 26, stands next to blood stains at Ilous Ellis Park on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023, the day after she was a witness to a mass shooting on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Fort Pierce. Eight victims were reportedly shot with several more injured as people ran for cover. "In the blink of an eye I just heard a lot of gunshots and I seen a lot of kids falling and crying and screaming on the food trucks on top of cars in garbage cans (dumpster), Chester said. "I was focused trying to help others and making sure they were safe."

All of those steps are helpful, but it seems like more can and should be done. For years, "community policing" has been a popular buzzword in law enforcement circles.

The concept is simple enough: By having police officers spend more time getting to know people living in at-risk neighborhoods, they can develop contacts who can assist them when trouble strikes.

The MLK Day shooting shows the potential value of community policing and related collaboration between St. Lucie and Fort Pierce lawmen, even if the results aren't always immediate and tangible.

This case should serve as a wake-up call that prompts Fort Pierce city officials ― from the city manager to the mayor and city council to the entire police department ― to think about ways to improve their relationship with Lincoln Park residents.

It works both ways. Lincoln Park residents don't want to live in a community where the occasional shooting or other acts of violence are considered routine. People everywhere deserve better and should expect better.

Fort Pierce is in the middle of a renaissance, with many exciting developments planned for downtown and the city's western fringes. The beaches along Hutchinson Island continue to be a source of pride as well.

But when national news headlines talk about shootings in Fort Pierce, they aren't always going to make distinctions between the "good" neighborhoods and those facing challenges. The whole city runs the risk of being painted with a broad brush that could discourage tourism and further economic investment.

There's no such thing as "just another shooting." They all matter. And the city will reach its full potential only when people throughout its social strata acknowledge and begin addressing that.

Editorials published by TCPalm/Treasure Coast Newspapers are decided collectively by its editorial board. To respond to this editorial with a letter to the editor, email up to 300 words to TCNLetters@TCPalm.com.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Justice needed to provide closure for Fort Pierce's MLK Day shooting