A late-night crowd outside The Standard Cuisine & Cocktails in downtown Boca Raton scattered in panic on May 25 when gunfire erupted, leaving two people wounded and drawing a heavy police response to the Mizner Park area. One person was shot in the chest, another was hit while inside the restaurant, and both were rushed to a hospital, according to police.
Arrest and charges
Investigators say their search led them to 24-year-old Christian Ippolito of Lantana, who was arrested late Wednesday. Police say he faces two counts of second-degree attempted murder with a firearm and one count of shooting into an occupied dwelling. He was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail, according to WPTV.
Detectives say the people involved knew each other and that the shooting followed a heated verbal argument that moved outside the restaurant before shots were fired.
Shooting near Mizner Park
Boca Raton police report that the gunfire broke out just after 12:30 a.m. on May 25 outside The Standard at 187 Southeast Mizner Boulevard. The suspected shooter ran from the scene as officers and paramedics converged on the popular downtown strip.
Both victims, described as adults, were taken to a local hospital for treatment, according to a police news release. Officers secured the area, collected evidence and canvassed neighboring businesses for witnesses and video. Detectives say they are still piecing together the lead-up to the confrontation and are urging anyone who saw what happened to come forward.
Probable-cause affidavit and surveillance
A probable-cause affidavit obtained by BocaNewsNow details how investigators used surveillance video from nearby businesses to trace the shooter. The footage reportedly shows a white sedan pull up, a man walk onto The Standard’s patio and, after a verbal dispute, fire two rounds before taking off.
The affidavit identifies the man shot in the chest as Nicholaus Thomas and the second victim as Michael Bogdan. According to the document, Thomas was listed in critical condition as of May 29, while Bogdan had been released from the hospital. Witness statements, along with help from the restaurant’s owner, were key in identifying Ippolito as the suspect, the affidavit states.
Charges, custody and a police request
Authorities say Ippolito was booked on two counts of second-degree attempted murder with a firearm and one count of shooting into an occupied dwelling and remains held at the Palm Beach County Jail, according to WPTV. The Boca Raton Police Department’s news release asks anyone with information to contact Detective Desiderato at (561) 982-4991.
Local business owners near Mizner Park told WPBF they were stunned by the violence in an area known more for dinner crowds and date nights than crime, and they hope the shooting does not scare customers away from downtown Boca Raton.
