FORT MYERS, Fla. — Police reports break down the events that led up to the deadly shooting of 16-year-old De’mari Jackson.
On April 24th, the Fort Myers Police Department got a call from a woman who said that an 18-year-old girl was trying to fight a 14-year-old girl on Franklin Street.
According to the report, the caller was said to be the mother of the 14-year-old.
FMPD also received a ShotSpotter System alert in reference to nine gunshots at the location of Edison Avenue at the same time.
Multiple officers went to Franklin Street. According to the report, multiple people who called 911 said there was a victim involved in the shooting.
People led officers to a boy laying on the porch of Willard Street who was later identified as Jackson.
Lee County EMS took the boy to the hospital where he died from his injuries.
According to the report, Jackson and a witness were standing behind the duplex when the witness said they observed a woman picking up a rock and hitting the back of a home.
Shortly after the woman allegedly screamed a boy’s name, documents state.
The same witness says they saw a man pull out a gun from the back of his pants and started shooting in their direction which is when the report says Jackson stepped in front of the witness, pushed her out of the way, and told her to run.
She said they both ran and Jackson later collapsed on a front porch nearby which was when she realized he was shot.
Detectives interviewed other witnesses who explained what they say led up to the shooting.
According to the report, a 14-year-old girl had said that her mother was there during the shooting.
The girl told detectives that she and her two friends were at the field across from where the shooting took place on Franklin Street. Which is when the girl said three girls in a silver van pulled up.
The 14-year-old admitted that she did know two of the girls in the van, which were the driver and one of the passengers.
According to FMPD, the 14-year-old and her friends were involved in a fight with them back in February.
The girls in the van allegedly started yelling at them when a boy, who the 14-year-old told investigators she’s not familiar with, said something to the girls before they drove onto the field.
According to the 14-year-old, she believed the driver of the vehicle was trying to run her over twice.
The passenger in the van allegedly jumped out of the vehicle with a mace in her hand and chased the girls. The passenger hit the 14-year-old with the mace after she could not run any longer and a fight broke out.
The 14-year-old’s mother broke up the fight in the field and told her daughter to go home and the passenger of the vehicle allegedly said, “That’s where you all live?” and reportedly told the mother and daughter to wait there. The same girl then allegedly hit the house’s window with her hand.
The mother and daughter, according to the report went back home out of fear after the girl said she was going to get her brother.
According to the report, while the mother was on the phone with the police, she heard at least two gunshots near the 14-year-old girl's bedroom window which was when the girl's father came out of the house to see what was happening.
According to the report, the shooter was aiming at the girl's father which is when Jackson was shot.
Detectives later identified the suspected shooter as 19-year-old Syncere Trice and arrested him for second-degree murder.
Trice appeared in court and is being held without bond. His next court date is May 31st.
