WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — There were 121 rounds of dangerous celebratory gunfire in West Palm Beach on Tuesday night, a figure that was down from the number that occurred on July Fourth last year, according to Police Chief Frank Adderley.
He made the announcement during a Wednesday afternoon news conference outside the city's police headquarters.
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The police chief said the city had 146 rounds of celebratory gunfire on July 4, 2022.
"Definitely, when you look at the numbers, there is a notable difference, however, [this is] still too many," Adderley said. "We're trying to get the message out to our residents here in our city that this is not a safe practice."
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A 16-year-old with a "high-powered weapon" was taken into custody following a shooting in the 2100 block of Australian Ave. Adderley said investigators recovered 50 spent casings and six live casings at the scene. No one was hurt in this shooting.
The teen is accused of giving police a false name and possession of a firearm by a minor.
A person in their 20s who was also at the scene of this shooting was not arrested after police said none of the spent casings at the location matched a weapon in their possession.
Adderley said police received a total of 18 ShotSpotter alerts in West Palm Beach on Tuesday night.
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The chief of police said a separate shooting, that was not celebratory gunfire, took place Tuesday night at Tenth Street and Tamarind Avenue, hospitalizing a 15-year-old girl. The child, who was shot in the shoulder, is in serious condition at St. Mary's Medical Center.
The teen was an innocent bystander, caught in the crossfire, Adderley said. Police said they are looking for two people involved in the girl's shooting.
"Here you got a situation where he got a number of people, I'm hearing crowds as high as 10 people who stood and watched this," Adderley said. "We need a witness to come in. We need to clear these crimes."
The chief of police said it is imperative that residents help officers make the community safer.
"The reward of making this neighborhood safe is priceless because everyone wants to live in a safe community," Adderley said.
He said he believes that 12 individuals are responsible for more than 100 homicides in West Palm Beach, dating back several years.
The police department will host their annual National Night Out on Crime event on Tamarind Avenue near the same location of Tuesday's shooting.