FORT PIERCE, Fla. — A 32-year-old Homestead man is facing two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder after a shooting at a small shopping plaza Friday night.
Alah Nawef Shehadeh, of Homestead, was arrested and booked into the St. Lucie County jail at 3:31 a.m. Saturday.
Police responded to gunshots fired at 7:40 p.m. Friday at a plaza that includes Dixon foodmart, smokeshop and Western Union business at 2410 Avenue D., east of North 25th Street.
Three victims had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and they were taken to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital. Two of the men, 45 and 51, died, and the 44-year-old man was listed in critical condition, according to police. The agency didn't release the names of the victims, but family members identified the two men who died to WPTV.
Shortly after the incident, Fort Pierce police officers took Shehadeh into custody as a person of interest, police said. He was later placed under arrest and charged with two counts of homicide/murder without premeditation and one count of attempted homicide/murder without premeditation.
"We had someone in custody very quickly because we want the neighborhood, residents, visitors, the neighborhood, of course they were concerned," spokesman Larry Croom told WPTV's Briana Nespral. "We want them to know we believe this was an isolated incident and that we have somebody in custody."
In an arrest report, Shehadeh said he was a clerk at Fire Deals smoke shop where the incident occurred.
He told investigators approximately seven or eight people rushed into the store while at least two of them were armed with guns. But investigators determined from surveillance those shot were not armed with any kind of weapons.
Family, friends and police officers joined hands in a prayer vigil Saturday night at the shooting site.
Seed Wyche said he was with his brother Drick Lampkin during the fatal shooting.
"We walked over just to check the little store out," Wyche told WPYTV's Briana Nespral. "He probably would’ve shot me had I not moved as fast as I moved.
He said "my brother didn’t deserve that, neither one of them."
Sabrina Hall, who was a cousin of one of the victims who died, Kenny Lifhred, said, "For us to lose a family member to that in the community we grew up in all of our lives is very heartbreaking."
She said her cousin was an all-around guy, he was a good guy. Just at the wrong place at the wrong time."
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Jesse Love at 772-467-6943 (office), 772-302-4790 (cell) or jlove@fppd.org; or Detective Dania Francois-Brown at 772-467-6911 (office), 772-979-1471 (cell) or dfrancois@fppd.org. Those wishing to remain anonymous can contact Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-(800)-273-8477.
