PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Port St. Lucie police made two arrests overnight and are searching for a third suspect in connection with the Saturday evening shooting that left two teenagers injured in St. Lucie West.
Chief Leo Niemczyk held a press conference Sunday afternoon to provide updates on the investigation.
WATCH: Full press conference held by Chief Niemczyck
The two victims — Antoine Myers, 19, and Jermonti Johnson, 19 — are both from Georgia and were visiting the Fort Pierce area when the shooting occurred. Myers suffered a gunshot wound to the head and is in grave condition with an outlook that is not good. Johnson suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen and is expected to make a recovery.
The shooting happened around 6:36 p.m. Saturday in the 1600 block of Northwest St. Lucie West Boulevard. Both men were shot inside a white Tesla.
Niemczyk said the incident began as a business transaction at a Walmart in Fort Pierce. The victims contacted the suspects over cell phones, asking them to buy and activate phones on their behalf.
Niemczyk said the victims had their own reasons for not wanting the phones in their names, which he described as "less than ethical reasons." The suspects decided they did not want to be involved and instead chose to rob the victims of their money and phones.
A female suspect drove the other suspects from Fort Pierce to Port St. Lucie and from the scene of the shooting.
Police arrested 2 people overnight:
- Maratravious Aaron Blue Jr., 19 — charged with attempted second-degree murder, robbery with a firearm and grand theft. Blue has a prior criminal history that includes burglary.
- Charlett Nylay Key, 18 — the driver, charged with robbery with a firearm, obstruction of justice and accessory after the fact for attempted murder. Key has no prior criminal history.
A third suspect remains at large:
- Norrien Morris Casminski, 18 — wanted for attempted second-degree murder, robbery with a firearm, and grand theft. Casminski has a prior criminal history that includes burglary, grand theft, and violation of probation. Police consider Casminski dangerous and potentially armed, as the firearm used in the shooting has not been recovered.
When WPTV reporter Zitlali Solache asked whether Casminski should be considered armed, Chief Niemczyk said, "It's very likely, I would have to say that. We have not recovered the firearm yet, so it's a good question. I have to assume he's got it. That's the only way to look at it. He's armed and dangerous and potentially armed."
The U.S. Marshals are assisting in the investigation. Niemczyk expressed confidence that Casminski would be apprehended quickly.
"I'm pretty sure they'll have him in custody in no time," Niemczyk said.
Investigators conducted several criminal interviews and executed search warrants throughout the night. A gold Chevy Cruze used as the getaway vehicle led investigators to the registered owner's home, where a search warrant was conducted and two people were taken to the station for questioning.
Niemczyk said approximately 16 to 18 detectives worked through the night, along with a half dozen crime scene specialists and a SWAT team. Drones were deployed at each scene and played a significant role in advancing the investigation overnight. Niemczyk said drone technology has been at the forefront of Port St. Lucie's investigations.
Niemczyk said the suspects are not Port St. Lucie residents, with the exception of Key, the female driver.
"These are not upstanding residents. They're not Port St. Lucie residents with the exception of the female driver — and it's unfortunate their business brought them to Port St. Lucie," Niemczyk said.
According to the police chief, the victims were also not Port St. Lucie residents and emphasized that this was an isolated incident — not a random act targeting the community.
When asked what reassurance he could offer residents, Niemczyk said, "They weren't out looking to randomly commit a crime against innocent people in the community. They actually were in the process of doing business with these individuals and that obviously went bad."
Jamari Prendergast, a resident who spends frequent time at the plaza where the shooting occurred, said the incident caught him off guard. "Yeah, it does because this place is pretty safe. There's always cops everywhere. It just like very troublesome — cause like you wouldn't see that usually. That's not like usually here," Prendergast said.
Authorities are asking anyone with information on Casminski's whereabouts to contact 911 or Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-800-273-TIPS (8477).
