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HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (AP) — Police in South Florida arrested two suspects over the weekend and a third on Monday following a Memorial Day shooting along a busy beachside promenade that injured nine people.
Detectives from the Hollywood Police Department took Ariel Cardahn Paul, 16, into custody on Sunday night and Lionel JeanCharles Jr., 18, on Monday afternoon, the agency said in a news release. On Saturday, Hollywood detectives and the U.S. Marshal’s Task Force arrested 15-year-old Jordan Burton.
JeanCharles, Paul and Burton have been identified by police as the shooters, the agency said.
They will each face charges of attempted first-degree murder, eight counts of attempted murder in the second degree and one count of carrying a concealed firearm.
JeanCharles was denied bond on Tuesday.
Two men who were involved in the altercation that led to the shooting — Morgan Deslouches and Keshawn Stewart, both 18 — were arrested last week on firearms charges, police said. Five handguns have been recovered, with one of them reported stolen in the Miami area and another in Texas, they said.
“If it wasn’t for the help of our community helping us with videos, cameras, pictures — this could’ve possibly taken longer,” said Hollywood Police officer Christian Lata.
Mayor Josj Levy said in a press conference that the community knows to alert the authorities when they witness criminal activity.
Police and witnesses say the shooting began late in the afternoon on Memorial Day after a fight broke out in front of a busy stretch of shops on the Hollywood Oceanfront Broadwalk, which is south of Fort Lauderdale. Bystanders frantically ran for cover as gunshots rang out.
Several beachgoers, along with police and paramedics jumped into action to aid the wounded.
“There’s no doubt that without their actions we would have lost lives,” said Dr. Randy Katz of Memorial Regional Hospital. “There are lives saved because of the actions of these individuals.”
Two of the nine injured remain in the hospital, police said.
It was not immediately known whether those who were arrested have retained lawyers who could speak on their behalf.
On the same day of JeanCharles Jr.’s arrest, one of the victims of the shooting reunited with the good Samaritan that helped save his life.
Kyan Reddix, 15, was shot three times — twice in the abdomen, and once in the chest.
That was when Sean Bennett rushed to his side to apply pressure to his wounds. Both finally met on Monday.
“He’s my hero and he’s my son’s guardian angel,” said Latroya Stone, mother of the victim.
Stone said while she saw everyone else run away, she was grateful for Bennett running toward her son laying on the ground, helping and getting towels from people.
“If anything happened to my kid, I would like somebody to do the same for my kid as well,” said Bennett.
Reddix was shot on the left-hand side of his chest, but due to a congenital heart condition, his heart is placed on the right side instead — which along with Bennett, helped save his life.
The teen survivor said he hopes to complete his recovery soon and also that he and Bennett will remain friends, even when the whole situation is over.
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