Man arrested as suspect in deadly Clewiston shooting

A man was arrested Wednesday night as a suspect in a Clewiston shooting that killed a woman and hospitalized her brother.

According to the Clewiston Police Department, Juan Vega, 38, was arrested after officers responded to a home on West Alverdez Avenue at around 8:30 p.m. in reference to a report of gunshots. Upon arrival, they found two gunshot victims, an unresponsive 36-year-old woman and a 31-year-old man. The two victims were determined to be siblings. Several family members witnessed the incident and identified Vega as the shooter. Officers learned that Vega left the home in a vehicle before they arrived.

After CPR efforts by on-scene officers, the female victim was transported by Hendry County EMS to Hendry Regional Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. The male victim was transported by family members to Hendry Regional Medical Center, where he was stabilized and transported to St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach.

A sergeant with the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office located Vega’s vehicle traveling toward LaBelle on SR-80. After a brief pursuit, and after the sergeant used his Taser, Vega was taken into custody. Inside his Dodge Ram pickup truck, deputies found a .22-caliber rifle, the same caliber believed to have been used in the homicide.

CPD says this is an isolated incident and that nothing suggests the community is in danger. Although the investigation remains active, preliminary information suggests this was a domestic incident, as the suspect and the female victim have children together. Among other family members, there were two young children in the home at the time of the shooting. The Department of Children and Families has been notified of the incident.

Vega will be booked into the Hendry County Jail and will face multiple charges, including murder and attempted murder.