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Suspect in Martin Luther King Jr. Day shooting in Fort Pierce could face life in prison

Kemmye Riccardo Parson is being held without bond
Posted at 6:12 PM, Mar 27, 2023
and last updated 2023-03-27 18:12:17-04

FORT PIERCE, Fla. — On Monday, WPTV learned new details Monday about the tragic Martin Luther King Jr. Day shooting in Fort Pierce that killed a young mother.

An arrest affidavit outlined some of what happened that day.

Earnest Scott, who owns a food truck in St.Lucie County, said he’s glad to still be in business after several bullets pierced his trailer during the shooting that happened at Ilous Ellis Park on Martin Luther King Day.

Up close, there are several evidence markings of where the bullets struck Oh Boy BBQ's trailer that was at at the park as part of the holiday celebration, when shots were fired.

The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of Kemmye Riccardo Parson last week on charges of attempted first-degree murder, second-degree felony murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Nikkitia Bryant, 29, died from the shooting and seven other people were wounded.

Nikkitia Bryant, 29, was killed in a Jan. 16, 2023 shooting at Ilous Ellis Park in Fort Pierce.jpg
Nikkitia Bryant, 29, was killed in a Jan. 16, 2023 shooting at Ilous Ellis Park in Fort Pierce.

The heavily redacted arrest affidavit of Parson does shed some light on what happened that day.

The sheriff’s office gathered surveillance video, and spoke with several witnesses, one of whom said they saw someone shooting out of the serving window of a barbecue truck.

Someone returned fire, but no one could identify either shooter. Bryant was killed in that crossfire.

Scott told WPTV no one was firing from inside of his food truck and that one of his relatives and one of his friends were injured in the gunfire.

Scott said with bullets flying all around him, he had to scramble and get his two young sons to safety.

The affidavit also revealed that were was a traffic stop later that week involving a woman who has a child with Parson.

A bullet casing from a Jan. 16, 2023 deadly mass shooting at Ilous Ellis Park in Fort Pierce.jpg
A bullet casing from a Jan. 16, 2023 deadly mass shooting at Ilous Ellis Park in Fort Pierce.

She told detectives that she and Parson were in a car together the day of the MLK event, and got into a verbal disagreement at the park, though she provided no details to detectives as to where they were at during the event, or what the disagreement was about.

According to the affidavit, the woman was later questioned about blood on the passenger seat of the vehicle.

The crime lab determined it's a mixture of two DNA profiles, but does not detail from whom, as more lab work needs to be done.

Parson is being held in jail without bond in connection to the two murder charges.

He could face life in prison.