RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. — Riviera Beach police detectives continue to investigate a shooting that claimed a teen's life Wednesday.
The shooting took place at the intersection of West 34th Street and Avenue J at about 2:30 p.m.
"It is close to where I lay my head at the moment. It is close," a woman who didn't want her name mentioned told WPTV on Thursday.
She said she had just come back from the beach when she saw squad cars and yellow tape that roped off an area where detectives and officers were at the scene.
Riviera Beach
Teen's death investigated in Riviera Beach
"I didn't know it was a child. I'm raising a boy, and I would never want ... something to occur to him like that, so I was concerned," the woman said. "I was even more concerned [for] this young man's family."
Investigators found him suffering from a gunshot wound that later claimed his life.
According to the Riviera Beach police department, so far in 2024, they've had 25 incidents where a minor was a victim of a gun-related crime.
They also have four total reports where a minor is listed as a suspect or offender and a firearm was involved. That does not mean the firearm was discharged. It was just used in the commission of a crime.
Elizabeth Robinson said she's lived in the neighborhood for 30 years. She said they're not trying to go back to the old days of Avenue J.
"It used to be very bad, but in the last five years it has been quiet," Robinson said. "We have new real estate that's going on. It has changed. It's so quiet. We didn't even hear or know anything that was going on."
Police have not named any suspects in the shooting.
The identity of the victim has not been released.
