WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office (PBSO) has arrested eight men who are linked to several shootings and two homicides in the county.
PBSO says the arrest was made by its Gang Unit and says it follows a two-year investigation.
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The eight arrested include Ennis Veillard, 20; Andre Jean, 25; Marquan Mcgraw, 20; Jamaine Sampson, 20; Harry Mason, 20; Tylor Gaynus, 20; Jadon James, 20; and Bobby Cooper 20.
According to PBSO Command Officer Major Talal Masri, the investigation goes back to 2019 after a homicide occurred off Belvedere Road where two people at a party were shot and killed.
"We did make an arrest, firearm-related charges to the initial suspect on that case, however, associates of the people that were murdered, the victim's friends or acquaintances, decided to do some of the work on their own and started retaliatory shootings in different places in the county," Masri said.
CBS12 News reported on the homicide back in January 2019 after a 17-year-old boy named Moltere Charles Jr. and a 16-year-old Frederick Rosemond were murdered during a triple shooting at Lake Park Belvedere Estates Park.
Through PBSO's investigation, it was learned that Charles Jr. was related to Veillard and Jean.
The following year on Nov. 16, 2020, there was a shooting that occurred where deputies said Veillard and Jean were suspects in the shooting.
Deputies say in the arrest report that it's believed that the person Veillard and Jean were targeting was responsible for Charles Jr. being murdered in 2019, and that the shooting in November 2020 was in retaliation.
According to the arrest report from the investigation, the victim in the shooting in November 2020 was shot in the leg twice and was taken to St. Mary's Medical Hospital.
The arrest report says investigators issued search warrants where detectives were able to use cell phone records to pinpoint Veillard and Jean in the area at the scene of the crime.
The following year on May 14, 2021, deputies responded to a shooting at Ocean Reef Park. According to the arrest report, a student was holding a "Senior Skip Day" party at one of the pavilions.
Witnesses at the party said two white matching BMWs pulled up to the party, men jumped out of the vehicles wearing all back and ski masks and began shooting at the pavilion.
The arrest report says those who were being shot at began to shoot back at the people from the white vehicles.
Witnesses described one of the vehicles as being a BMW i8 and a white Lexus.
The arrest report says both vehicles were then seen fleeing westbound on Blue Heron Blvd over the Intracoastal bridge.
It was then learned that later on that day, McGraw, who was in one of the white BMWs, showed up at St. Mary's Hospital with a gunshot wound to his right shoulder, the arrest report reads.
When deputies arrived at the hospital, they noticed one of the BMWs was in the parking lot of the hospital being occupied by two Black men.
The occupants were identified as Veillard and Jean, both wearing black clothing. The deputy on scene ordered both of the men out of the car and detained them. The arrest report says that in plain view a rifle was in the rear driver's side seat, and there was a Glock 19 semi-automatic firearm Gen 5 9x19 with an extended magazine in the rear passenger side seat.
The arrest report also noted that on May 14, 2021, a deputy photographed the scene at St. Mary's Hospital and found that in one of the pictures Tyler Gaynus was standing next to sealed-off crime scene tape next to Jadon James.
The affidavit also noted that at around 5:54 p.m., the Riviera Beach Police Department stopped a second BMW that matched the description of one of the shooting vehicles from Ocean Reef Park. The vehicle also showed evidence of being shot at.
The driver of the vehicle was revealed to be Sampson. He told detectives that he went to a party with McGraw after hearing about it on social media, and then when McGraw exited the vehicle he was immediately shot.
McGraw then re-entered the vehicle, and Sampson drove him to St. Mary's Hospital.
The arrest report says Sampson didn't provide a reason for leaving McGraw at the hospital other than "wanting to go home."
It should be noted, that the arrest report states, that the target for the shooting on Nov. 20, 2021, and who is also believed to be responsible for the death of Charles Jr., was believed to be at the party at Ocean Reef.
Through text messages and messages on social media that transpired between the suspects arrested days before and after the shooting at Ocean Reef Park, detectives were able to charge the eight men with conspiracy with another person or persons to commit first-degree murder with a firearm and attempted first degree with a firearm.
