Two men under arrest in connection with Cape Coral shooting

CAPE CORAL, Fla.- Police arrested two men in connection to a shooting call that placed two schools on lockdown Wednesday afternoon.

43-year-old James Clemons and 30-year-old Jessie Howard face multiple charges including aggravated assault and shooting into an occupied vehicle.

The Cape Coral Police Department received numerous calls around 4 p.m. about more than 20 gunshots heard in the 1500 block of NE 16th Terrace.

As officers were responding to the area, another call was received from a victim who identified herself as Nicole Mercado, saying she was shot in the face.

Officers met with Mercado and Lacroy Broomfield at a residence in North Fort Myers.

Authorities say Lacroy and Nicole drove to a home on NE 16th Terrace where Lacroy was going to meet up with his cousin.

While at the home, police say Lacroy’s ex-girlfriend saw Mercado was there and became enraged. A verbal argument began inside the house and moved outside.

While outside, officials say additional members of Broomfield’s ex-girlfriend’s family began surrounding him and Mercado, verbally threatening to do bodily harm to them.

According to the victims, they both entered Mercado’s car for their safety and the mob surrounded the vehicle and began hitting it and coming at them. The couple drove away, fleeing the neighborhood.

Police say almost immediately, a black Pontiac Grand Prix began following and chasing them. The passenger of the vehicle allegedly began shooting at Mercado’s vehicle, striking it multiple times, and a bullet fragment even struck Mercado in the face.

Broomfield was able to identify the driver as Clemons and the passenger as Howard.

Officers later arrested both suspects at Howard’s residence located on the 1300 block of NE 18th Terrace.

Mercado was transported to Lee Memorial Trauma Center.