Crime & Public Safety
Four arrested after shooting near Fort Walton Beach leaves 20-year-old dead
Four people have been arrested in connection with a shooting outside an apartment complex near Fort Walton Beach in Okaloosa County that left a 20-year-old man dead. The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office says the shooting occurred about 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 15 outside an apartment complex off Rickey Avenue and David Street.
According to investigators, despite his injuries the victim drove from the scene to a nearby gas station, where he was taken to a local hospital and later died. The sheriff’s office identified four suspects taken into custody: an 18-year-old, a 19-year-old, a 20-year-old and a 17-year-old. Deputies charged all four with murder while engaged in an attempted robbery, the agency said.
The chronology published by the sheriff’s office indicates deputies responded after the victim sought help at the gas station; the shooting is alleged to have occurred at the apartment complex location prior to that. Arrests and the murder charges were announced by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office; those charging decisions reflect allegations as stated by the agency.
The investigation remains active, according to the sheriff’s office. Officials asked anyone with information to contact the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office or submit anonymous tips to Emerald Coast Crime Stoppers. No further case outcomes or court results have been documented by the agency at this time.
All individuals accused of a crime are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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All individuals mentioned in criminal allegations are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.