Fort Myers police say a teen is dead after a shooting on Sunday night.
Officers say a 16-year-old Fort Myers High School student was killed, calling him an innocent bystander.
The shooting happened on the 3000 block of Franklin Street around 8:30 p.m. Police are also calling the shooting an isolated incident.
During a news conference, FMPD said the situation started after a fight broke out between a large group of people.
FMPD has not released the victim’s name and has struggled to contact a next-of-kin. Police say that although Fort Myers High School has his personal information, they have not been able to reach anyone.
Captain Victor Medico of Fort Myers Police said, “Our condolences go out to the family and friends of our victim who was senselessly and tragically murdered last night. This incident stemmed from a physical altercation between a large group of people. He died by gunfire as an innocent bystander in this incident.”
School District of Lee County spokesman Rob Spicker said in a statement, “We are saddened by the loss of one of our students and have grief counselors on campus for students or staff seeking support.”
This also marks the first homicide in the city of Fort Myers in 2022.
“We were sitting out back and we stopped the grill up and got to cook some meat on it. And all of a sudden we hear the shots,” said William Brown, a Fort Myers resident.
One of those shots killed the unidentified 16-year-old boy.
“It does put a big dent in my heart because I got 14 children. And I love every one of them. And I wouldn’t want to that happened to them,” said Brown.
Brown says justice must be served. “I feel as though the individual that did this, to pay for this. An innocent child ends up losing their life behind the ignorance and stupidity of another individual.”
Fort Myers police say that it’s a very active investigation and is asking anyone with information about the shooting to call them at 239-321-7700.
Or you can call SWFL Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS. You could receive up to $3,000 for information that leads to the arrest of the person(s) responsible for this crime.