Earlier today, a shooting in Port St. Lucie's Tradition community left a man hospitalized and the police are searching for answers. The victim, a young man whose identity has yet to be disclosed, was shot multiple times in what law enforcement describes as a "targeted attack." According to WPTV, the shooting occurred just before 7 a.m. in a residential driveway on Southwest Stockton Place, within the gated Town Park at Tradition community.
Sgt. Dominick Mesiti mentioned that the victim managed to run to a nearby street following the shooting. He was flown to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in serious condition; the injuries were not deemed life-threatening, Mesiti added. The shooter, who is still at large, reportedly fled the scene in a vehicle, the make and model of which remain undetermined. Despite the violent nature of the incident, the police believe there is no immediate threat to the community at large, as reported by TCPalm.
Tradition Preparatory High School, located approximately a mile and a half from the site of the shooting, was placed on a brief lockdown as a precaution. As the neighborhood grapples with the news, residents express their concern. Andrew Lamaster, a local who has called the community home for three years, told TCPalm, "We were talking about what we're going to do with our kids going to school ... because they usually ride their bikes, so I ended up driving them." He described the police presence that he encountered while driving his children as the cause for the "buzz of the neighborhood."
This incident invoked memories of a past tragedy as well: nearly two years ago, Karesha Brissett, 45, was shot dead in the same neighborhood. The scene of her murder was discovered during a welfare check, with police citing evidence suggesting that she had been shot through the door. Police, at the time, had found containers with an unknown liquid that necessitated calling in the bomb squad. The community, now facing another shooting, is reminded of the violence that once visited their streets. Police are canvassing the area for any video or witness accounts that might shed light on this latest act of violence, according to information obtained by TCPalm.
Investigators urge anyone with relevant information to contact the Port St. Lucie Police Department or to reach out anonymously to Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers.
