BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — Boynton Beach officials addressed the recent gun violence in the city during a Thursday afternoon news conference, calling all of the shootings unrelated.
Four people were shot in two separate shootings within miles of each other Wednesday.
Boynton Beach police said three people were shot at a rooming house on Northeast 11th Avenue at about 11:30 a.m. One of the victims walked to a nearby Dollar General store, where aerial video from WPTV Chopper 5 showed several police cruisers and a fire truck outside.
A few hours later, a man suffered life-threatening injuries in a shooting on East Palm Drive, police said.
The two shootings Wednesday came after a teenager was gunned down Sunday night along Miner Road in a fight involving two groups in Boynton Beach.
Mayor Ty Penserga, Boynton Beach Police Chief Joseph DeGiulio and Maj. Michael Kelley spoke about the shootings at the Boynton Beach Police Department.
"Gun violence has no place in our city," Penserga said Thursday. "It is inexcusable, and we will not tolerate it."
The mayor was committed to holding those responsible accountable for their actions.
"We will bring justice where justice is due," Penserga said. "We will identify these individuals and hopefully bring peace and comfort to the families."
He asked for the public's help in identifying the people involved in the string of shootings.
"These three incidents that occurred over the past few days will not derail the progress that we have made in this city," Penserga said
The mayor said none of the shootings are related and called them all "isolated" and there was "no public, imminent threat."
DeGiulio said community safety was the No. 1 priority of the police department.
"We are committed to solving these crimes and these incidents and have dedicated our full resources to it," the police chief said.
Regarding the teen's fatal shooting Sunday night, Kelley said police have interviewed "dozens of witnesses" and developed persons of interest in the case.
"This is an open and dynamic investigation," Kelley said.
Kelley said the shooting that injured three adults on Northeast 11th Avenue was a closed case.
"Although we developed probable cause for arrest, the victim declined to pursue charges," Kelley said. "There are no life-threatening injuries in this case."
However, Kelley said that police seized multiple weapons in this shooting.
Kelley said the shooting on East Palm Drive injured an adult who is in critical but stable condition. He said this case was an open investigation, and they are still working to identify the shooter.
"We are imploring the public to assist us in providing any information available for the two open cases," Kelley said.
If you can help detectives in these cases, you are urged to call the Boynton Beach Police Department at 561-742-6127 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-8477.
