NewsPalm Beach CountyRegion C Palm Beach CountyWest Palm Beach

Actions

Man fatally shot execution-style at West Palm Beach apartment complex

Separate shooting occurs at 9th Street and Tamarind Avenue, claiming 2nd victim
A fatal shooting was investigated near the Lake Mangonia Park apartments on Jan. 2, 2024.
Posted at 5:41 PM, Jan 02, 2024
and last updated 2024-01-02 22:13:05-05

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Police in West Palm Beach investigated two shootings Tuesday that resulted in the deaths of two men.

Both cases were reported within hours of each other and were about a mile apart.

One of the shootings occurred at the Lake Mangonia Apartments, located along North Australian Avenue.

Investigators with the West Palm Beach Police Department said that Damien Davis, 34, was shot and killed execution-style in the front parking lot area of the complex, which is next door to Roosevelt Middle School.

Nadia McKay, a resident of the Lake Mangonia Apartments, shares her concerns about crime in the area.
Nadia McKay, a resident of the Lake Mangonia Apartments, shares her concerns about crime in the area.

Police said the victim's body was found in the passenger's side of a vehicle.

A resident of the complex said they are tired of the violence in the area. Police said they've heard the complaints before and it's on their radar.

"I've been here 14 years I'm tired. I have nothing else to lose," Nadia McKay, a resident of the Lake Mangonia Apartments, said. "I don't want to live here anymore. I don't feel safe."

Car riddled with bullets being towed away from crime scene 1022024.JPEG
Car riddled with bullets being towed away from crime scene on Jan. 2, 2024.

"This apartment complex is not foreign to West Palm Beach Police Department. Residents have voiced concerns," West Palm Beach police spokesman Mike Jachles said. "There have been concerns at neighborhood meetings, and our agency is committed to reducing crime and ensuring safety."

Second Fatal Shooting

Another shooting that claimed the life of a man was investigated at Ninth Street and Tamarind Avenue just after 9 a.m.

West Palm Beach investigators said a man, identified as James J. Miles, 47, was found shot and killed in an apartment. Investigators were told he was a caretaker. Police said Miles was shot multiple times.

A search warrant was executed at the property. 

Angela Brown, the mother of shooting victim James J. Miles in West Palm Beach, said she hadn't heard from him since Christmas. Jan. 2, 2024
Angela Brown, the mother of shooting victim James J. Miles in West Palm Beach, said she hadn't heard from him since Christmas.

"I haven't heard anything from him since Christmas morning," Angela Brown told WPTV reporter Joel Lopez about her son. "I'm sad. ... He has been shot multiple shots and now he's dead."

There have been no arrests made in either shooting.