Club Blu shooting victim’s cousin remembers him, looks toward justice after arrests

Arrests have been made in the mass shooting that killed two teenagers and injured at least 14 other people, young and old, in July 2016 at Club Blu teen night in Fort Myers.

We spoke to the cousin of 18-year-old victim Stef’an Strawder Thursday. Strawder was shot and killed during the shooting along with 14-year-old victim Sean Archilles.

Strawder’s cousin says, because of the circumstances, she wanted to keep her identity private.

“It’s not an easy process,” Strawder’s cousin said. “They say, as the time go by, it get easier, but it doesn’t.”

Heartache still stings for the families who lost loved ones the night patrol cars and crime scene tape covered Club Blu.

“My cousin lost his life at a young age for no reason,” Strawder’s cousin said.

With five arrests made for the shooting and the murders, Strawder’s cousin told us there is hope for answers for the shooting four years ago.

“It takes time to do work,” Strawder’s cousin said. “It takes time to do real work, so for them to actually have suspects now, I think is a good thing”

She says she hugged Strawder one last time the month before he was killed and remembers the smile always on his face.

“Everybody got a long with him,” Strawder’s cousin said. “He was one of those people that you can say was one of those angel people that come along and put nothing but positive energy in your life.”

She says the high school basketball star didn’t deserve to die.

“I think it was just him having fun with his friends and happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Strawder’s cousin said.

The families of the victims now look forward justice.

“We will just see how it plays out in court,” Strawder’s cousin said.