WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Law enforcement agencies are investigating three shootings that injured three people near downtown West Palm Beach Monday afternoon, including an 8-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy. The third shooting involved a West Palm Beach police officer.
According to Mike Jachles, a spokesman for the West Palm Beach Police Department, the first shooting occurred just before 3:30 p.m. in the 900 block of Fifth Street off Tamarind Avenue. That’s where he says a 17-year-old male was shot, and suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
“I heard a bunch of gunshots, it sounded like eight of them, I really wasn’t sure at the time if it was fireworks or gunshots,” said Jerry Jayne, who lives nearby. “For something like this to happen at 3:30 in the afternoon, that’s the sad part, you know, people are just getting off work, off school, it's pretty dangerous.”
Jachles said shortly after, at 3:38 p.m., the police department got another report of shots fired at the intersection of 13th Street and Tamarind Avenue, near the Kareem's Food Mart convenience store. Jachles said that's where the 8-year-old girl was shot. Her injuries were also not life-threatening.
"It's senseless to me," Jayne said.
Police couldn't yet confirm if the child was shot inside the convenience store, but WPTV crews saw the convenience store taped off with crime scene tape and the building's front door shattered.
"After the shooting, there were people going in and out of the store," Jayne said. "But now the police are over there, they've got it taped off and it's closed for the rest of the night."
Jachles said the third shooting happened at 3:43 p.m. at the intersection of 15th Street and Windsor Avenue, a few blocks away from the second shooting. Jachles said a West Palm Beach police officer was forced to fire at what he called "a violent 22-year-old male armed with a gun."
"Officers that were at the scene, immediately began life-saving efforts, they administered CPR," he said. "He was later taken to St. Mary's (Medical Center)."
Jachles couldn't yet say if the suspect fired the gun or pointed it at officers. He said that's part of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's investigation, the agency now taking over that investigation.
West Palm Beach police will continue to investigate the other two shootings.
WPTV crews saw multiple police cars, crime scene tape and evidence markers blocking off several intersections for hours.
Jayne's apartment was surrounded by it all.
"That's my bedroom right over there," he said, pointing to the next parking lot over. "Yards away."
Jayne said he's now fearful to continue his daily routine.
"I jump on the bus right here a couple times a week," he said. "This happened in the middle of the afternoon. I'm glad I wasn't at the bus stop when that happened."
Jayne said he moved from Chicago and hoped he didn't move from what he called one crime-ridden city to another.
"Me being from Chicago, you hear about drive-bys and kids getting shot all the time," he said. "I'm thinking about going back to Chicago now."
Jachles said the two children were taken to area hospitals. He also said the first two shootings are believed to be related, but couldn't say whether the third was related or not.
He said the police department is working to figure out if the shootings were targeted or random acts of violence.
He also said the officer involved in the shooting of the 22-year-old man is now on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure anytime there is an officer-involved shooting.
Jachles said there are no suspects in custody as of Monday night and urged anyone with any information to call police.