Teen in stable condition following weekend beach park shooting; arrest pending, VBPD says
VERO BEACH – A shooting amid a fight between two groups of people in a beach parking lot over the weekend led to the hospitalization of a teenager who police said was in stable condition Tuesday.
Surveillance footage from shops and businesses near Humiston Beach Park was collected Tuesday as detectives continued with interviews this week of those involved in the fight before the shooting early Sunday, a Vero Beach police spokesperson said.
“It was a fight between a group of individuals, and during the fight, somebody took out a gun and shot somebody in the abdomen,” said Public Information Officer Kelsea Marty. “…Everyone has been identified … we caught everybody on scene.”
Police were sent to the 3000 block of Ocean Drive at roughly 2 a.m. after receiving multiple calls, including one from someone who said, “Somebody was shot, get here now, and they hung up,” Marty said.
At least one person among the two groups was a juvenile, but Marty said she could not say his involvement in the fight and shooting.
The rest of the people involved, she said were adult men who chose the park as “a random spot” to meet.
“Humiston has been a park that we notice a lot of juveniles will hang out (at), but never any violence,” she said. “It’s on our keep-watch list for night shift.”
Of the people involved and what was described as the two groups, Marty said one was made up of local men who live in an area of west Vero Beach within city limits. The other, she said traveled from out of the area to the park.
Indian River County Fire Rescue emergency personnel were called regarding the shooting at 2:05 a.m., said Assistant Fire Chief Steve Greer.
A 19-year-old with a gunshot wound to his abdomen was taken by ambulance to Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital and from there flown to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce. The man was alert as he was transported, Greer said.
Only one person was thought to have used a weapon during the reported fight, Marty said.
No property or structure was reported damaged after the shooting, but detectives were still working to learn aspects of the shooting − such as the number of shots fired. So far, police only know of the one gunshot that struck the man.
Marty said an arrest was expected to follow detective interviews of those involved.
Corey Arwood is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Corey on Twitter(X) @coreyarwood, or reach him by phone at 772-978-2246.
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This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Teen stable after weekend Humiston Beach Park shooting, VBPD says
