Answers still sought 9 years after man gunned down at Edison Mall right before Christmas
Published: December 21, 2020 6:01 PM EST
Updated: December 21, 2020 11:22 PM EST
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Nine years after a man was shot and killed two days before Christmas at the Edison Mall in Fort Myers, investigators are still looking for answers.
The killer – or killers – who gunned down 25-year-old Thomas Goodman are still out there. Investigators say Goodman was shot from a gray car outside the entrance to Macy’s and JCPenney. The shooter or shooters fired 50 to 60 rounds in a parking lot full of holiday shoppers.
“Witnesses that were there that evening described it as complete chaos. They didn’t know what was going on,” said Trish Routte, coordinator of Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers.
Parents say they now see Fort Myers leaders acknowledging gang violence
Published: December 14, 2020 7:27 PM EST
Updated: December 15, 2020 8:27 AM EST
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Families in Fort Myers are ready for transparency after years of violence and denial of it by those who serve the community. Bombshell documents after multiple arrests in the 2016 Club Blu shooting show in detail gang-related violence that’s gone on for years.
Moms and dads affected by gang violence say leaders in their community denied the dangerous and costly activities for years. The City leaders we spoke to also agreed with the parents.
Families we spoke to said they are now noticing a change. It’s a change a mom told us families in Fort Myers are desperately in need of, or moms like her will lose more children to crime.
AFFIDAVIT: Moments before, during & after the Club Blu mass shooting
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LEE COUNTY, Fla. – Five people were arrested Wednesday for the deadly Club Blu mass shooting in July 2016.
Tajze Battle, Derrick Church, Don Loggins, Demetrius O’Neal, and Kierra Russ are each facing two second-degree murder charges and a conspiracy to commit murder charge.
Detectives believe the group was part of the 1Way gang, who often feuded with the Bottom Boys gang, according to the arrest affidavit. Investigators think the five members of the group targeted the Teen Beach Party to specifically shoot members of the Bottom Boys gang.
However, two teens completely unrelated to either gang were shot and killed instead.
New documents detail what may have led to mass shooting at Club Blu
Published: December 11, 2020 12:40 PM EST
Updated: December 12, 2020 1:23 PM EST
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The probable cause affidavit made public Friday morning explains how a high school fight involving two rival gang members escalated into a mass shooting that left two teens dead.
The 42-page report mentions a fight at Dunbar High School between members of the 1Way and Bottom Boys gangs in May of 2015. The Fort Myers Police Department makes a compelling case against the five accused killers.
One of the people involved in the fight 14 months prior, was 1Way member Demetrius O’Neal. Now, he’s been charged with one of the Club Blu killings. Fort Myers Police say that O’Neal was fighting with Bottom Boys gang member Javonte Whitfield.
Technology played factor in Club Blu shooting investigation, more tips wanted
Published: December 10, 2020 6:25 PM EST
Updated: December 10, 2020 9:46 PM EST
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This boils down to good detective work and new technology.
Lt. Mike Walsh and Sgt. Lisa Breneman with Fort Myers Police Department remember the night vividly of July 25, 2016, and it’s been with them every day since.
“We continually worked on this for years,” Walsh said. “What put us on the right path was the resources that Chief Diggs took over. He recognized how big the case was, how important it was for us and the community.”
Going through the mountains of evidence was key and then the department brought the case back into the spotlight by creating the Club Blu Task Force 6 months ago, which included the FBI and Lee County Sheriff’s Office.