The Riviera Beach Police Department said Wednesday three suspects are in custody after a shooting killed a 15-year-old girl in December.
The shooting Dec. 23 killed Makayla Dennard while she was standing in her driveway along West 36th Street.
Police said the suspects in custody are 17-,18- and 19-years-old. Two were taken into custody in West Palm Beach and one in Lake Park, according to a news release.
The 19-year-old suspect was identified as Torrance Javon Smith Jr. of West Palm Beach. Smith was denied bond at a Friday morning hearing.
Makayla Dennard's family is heartbroken. The 15-year-old was caught in the crossfire when a group of people in a stolen car fired shots on West 36th Street. On Wednesday, we learned the three arrested in connection to her death are also teenagers.
"It is really a struggle for me often because what I see are four individuals that have been affected by the foolish activity of some of our young people who decide to solve their disputes through the barrel of a gun and don’t care who is in the crossfire," said Riviera Beach Police Chief Clarence Williams.
A month before Makayla was shot, three others were shot in the same location by a different group. Williams says the shooting stemmed from an ongoing battle between two groups.
