BUNNELL, Fla. – A 16-year-old boy died after he was shot Tuesday night in Bunnell, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies and Bunnell police responded just after 10 p.m. to reports of gunfire near the intersection of South Pine and East Booe streets, where two people were found shot.
[TRENDING: Installation underway of wrong-way detection system on new I-4 Express lanes | Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
Keymarion Hall, 16, died from his injuries at Halifax Health Hospital, while the other victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was released after treatment, deputies said.
The Flagler County Major Case Unit took up the investigation as it’s believed the shooting was not random, according to Sheriff Rick Staly.
Staly said on Wednesday detectives believe it was a drive-by shooting targeting the victims.
He said it was the second time Hall, a 10th-grader at Flagler Palm Coast High School, had been shot in the last year. Staly said he believes it’s part of an uptick in youth violence in the area, a problem his office is trying to stop but can’t seem to get answers for in some cases.
“We generally find in South Bunnell it’s a very close-knit community, whether it’s fear or generational,” he said.
Another Flagler Palm Coast student, Noah Smith, was shot and killed in South Bunnell in January, a case Staly said they’re still looking for answers in.
He said it’s going to take the community stepping up to help them get justice.
“The South Bunnell community and the churches really need to come together. We’re not going to be able to stop it, we’re not going to be able to solve it just by law enforcement,” he said.
Meanwhile, the most recent drive-by shooting appears to be a “focused incident,” according to Staly.
The sheriff’s office urges anyone with information about the incident to call 386-313-4911 or email TIPS@FlaglerSheriff.com. A reward of up to $5,000 for information was offered by CrimeStoppers at 888-277 TIPS (8477).