A 17-year-old boy died after being shot in the parking lot of Garcia's Boat Ramp late Friday night, and by Saturday investigators were calling it a homicide with no suspect identified. Deputies rushed to the 3700 block of County Road 512 and found the teen wounded, but he could not be saved despite being flown to a trauma center in Melbourne.
Deputies Raced to the Boat Ramp Just Before Midnight
According to veronews.com, the 17-year-old was shot in the parking lot of Garcia's Boat Ramp, a popular riverfront spot in Indian River County. Indian River County Sheriff's Office deputies responded at 11:24 p.m. Friday to reports of a juvenile who had been shot in the area, as reported by WPBF. Deputies located the teen at the scene and began lifesaving measures themselves before Indian River County Fire Rescue arrived to take over care.
The teen was first taken to Sebastian River Medical Center before being flown to Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, where he later died from his injuries, the station's report notes. The rapid transfer between hospitals underscores how serious his wounds were from the outset.
Investigators Say Case Appears Isolated, But Remains Open
Detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division, along with crime scene personnel, spent time processing the area and interviewing multiple witnesses, per the same account. As of Saturday, sheriff's officials were investigating the shooting as a homicide, according to veronews.com, though the agency said the case appeared to be an isolated incident posing no threat to the public. The area around the boat ramp has remained open to the public even as the investigation continues.
WPEC reported that detectives have not released additional details about a suspect, weapon, or motive, and the investigation remained active into Saturday. No name has been released for the teenager, and officials have said only that more information will be released as it becomes available.
Sheriff's Office Seeks Tips From the Public
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Indian River County Sheriff's Office at 772-569-6700 or Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-800-273-TIPS. With witnesses already being interviewed at the scene, investigators are hoping additional tips from the community can help fill in what happened before the shots were fired at the riverside boat ramp.
