He was left for dead on a Broward street. 2 months later, cops arrest a murder suspect

Devoun Cetoute

Ian Curtis was shot and left for dead in the middle of East Oakland Park Boulevard in November. It took nearly two months for Broward deputies to arrest the man they point to as the killer.

David McLean, 21, was arrested Tuesday and is the man Broward sheriff’s deputies say pulled the trigger on Nov. 17 in Oakland Park. Seven months before he was accused of shooting Curtis, McLean was arrested for firing three gunshots in the air from a car near a group of five people near Fort Lauderdale.

He accepted a plea deal in that case and was made to pay $261 in fines, court records show.

It was just after 6 p.m. when Curtis was driving his Mercedes-Benz down Oakland Park Boulevard when he got into an argument with McLean, who was driving a full-size pickup truck, deputies said. Curtis got out of his car.

He then dropped to the ground as McLean drove away.

A good Samaritan who happened to be passing by rushed over to Curtis and performed CPR. Paramedics arrived shortly after and took him to Broward Health Medical Center. He was pronounced dead there.

Ian Curtis, 27, was fatally shot Sunday evening in Oakland Park after what Broward Sheriff’s Office detectives are calling a traffic dispute. His older brother, Ben, wants someone to come forward.
Ian Curtis, 27, was fatally shot Sunday evening in Oakland Park after what Broward Sheriff’s Office detectives are calling a traffic dispute. His older brother, Ben, wants someone to come forward.

Shortly after McLean left the scene he went to a nearby Publix in the 200 block of East Oakland Park Boulevard. Surveillance cameras captured him inside.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office need help identifying the driver who was involved in a traffic dispute on Nov. 17 that left 27-year-old Ian Curtis dead. Anyone with information should call BSO Detective John Curcio at 954-321-4212 while those wishing to remain anonymous should contact Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477) or online at browardcrimestoppers.org.

With the arrest, Curtis’ Brother Ben, 33, said he feels a sense of closure.

“I got a feeling of elation or a feeling of joy that I haven’t had since November, since I found out that it happened,” he said.

He remembers his brother as a “very loyal, caring person” with a quick wit.

“He was a good person and a human being,” he said.

Ian Curtis was an aspiring rap musician with nearly 500,000 views on YouTube. His first encounter with the entertainment scene came when he was an 8-year-old and began making comedy videos.

“We’re incredibly grateful for the support and Crimestoppers ad that was shared,” Ben Curtis said. “There was a bystander that stopped and administered CPR to my brother and I’m forever grateful for that because my brother didn’t pass alone. He had people around him.”

McLean was charged with second-degree murder, committing a first-degree felony with a weapon, and driving with a suspended license. He is being held in a Broward County jail with no bond.

“I hope he’s in prison for the rest of his life,” Ben said. “That’s where he deserves to be.”