2 killed at unofficial MLK Day after-party in Florida

ABC "News" ^ | January 22, 2019 | by the AP

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Police in Florida say two people have been killed and another wounded in a shooting at an unofficial after-party for St. Petersburg's Martin Luther King Jr. Day Dream Big Parade.

St. Petersburg police said in a news release that the shooting happened Monday at a gas station where more than 100 people gathered for the post-parade celebration. Police spokeswoman Yolanda Fernandez says gunfire was reported to police at about 9:40 p.m.

39-year-old Tywan Jeremiah Armstrong and 42-year-old Roger Lee Ford Jr. were pronounced dead at a hospital and 42-year-old Carlos Demetrius Young is being treated for injuries not considered life-threatening.

The search for the shooter continues. Police say investigators don't believe the shooter was targeting King Day celebrations.

[csvset]

Local take on the incident.

St. Pete police: Shooting leaves two dead, one injured at after-party

Two men were fatally shot and another was wounded in a post-Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration on Jan. 21, 2019 at a Shell gas station on the corner of 34th Street and 18th Avenue S, according to St. Petersburg police. [SCOTT KEELER |TIMES

ST. PETERSBURG — Two men were fatally shot and another was wounded in a Monday night shooting at a post-Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration, according to police.

The shooting took place at a Shell gas station on the corner of 34th Street and 18th Avenue S, according to St. Petersburg police, while more than 100 were gathered as part of an annual but unofficial after-party.

The gunfire was reported to police at about 9:40 p.m. and when officers arrived they found a chaotic scene, said police spokeswoman Yolanda Fernandez.

Roger Lee Ford Jr., 42; Tywan Jeremiah Armstrong, 39; and Carlos Demetrius Young, 44, were taken to Bayfront Health St. Petersburg. Ford and Armstrong were pronounced dead at the hospital. Young is expected to survive.

The crowd had dispersed by 10:30 p.m., and police blocked off the intersection. A two-door Cadillac with large wheels and chameleon-like paint that appeared to be either green or purple was stopped on the curb. Police said that vehicle was linked to the victims. There was also a red pickup truck at the scene that police said might have been involved.

Police did not yet have a physical description of the shooter or shooters to release, nor had anyone been taken into custody.

The gathering was one of many unofficial after-parties that occur each year after the annual MLK Dream Big Parade, though the greatest density of parties is along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street between 11th Avenue S and 18th Avenue S.

There were no major incidents affiliated with that after-party, police said, and detectives did not believe anyone was targeted indiscriminately

. The King Street celebration had mostly wound down by 11 p.m., Fernandez said. The chilly temperature likely helped encourage people to head home.

The intersection of 34th Street and 18th Avenue S was expected to remain closed for several hours as the investigation continued into Tuesday morning.

Police ask anyone with information about the shooting to call detectives at (727) 893-7780 or text "SPPD" plus a tip to TIP411.

Contact Josh Solomon at jsolomon@tampabay.com or (813) 909-4613. Follow @ByJoshSolomon.

[MplsSteve]

“MLK regularly beat-up hookers.”

Seriously? I hadn’t heard that before.

[tomkat]

“MLK regularly beat-up hookers.”

Seriously? I hadn’t heard that before.

Only in his spare time between plagiarizing theses and attending marxist indoctrination seminars.

[A_Former_Democrat]

Carrying a Confederate Flag too, per Mizzou’s faculty member Cynthia Frisby . . . oh and using the “N-Word” hundreds of times

Including members of the Journalism “faculty”

Aint that always the way?

[Osage Orange]

Dang....I want chameleon-like paint..!!!

[csvset]

Roger Lee Ford, Jr.

Tywan Jeremiah Armstrong

Both of these mugshots are 10 years old but are the deceasd.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

A two-door Cadillac with large wheels and chameleon-like paint that appeared to be either green or purple was stopped on the curb.

If Obama had a car, it would look like this.

[M Kehoe]

Yep.

18th ave and 34th st. south. Shell station.

5.56mm

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Well played sir!

[HotHunt]

100 blacks gather at a garage to party down. What could go wrong?

[isom35]

put another way: ONLY 2 were killed at..........

[HotHunt]

In Kalifornia, they will pull you over for just having that bumper sticker on your car.

It's a SJW triggering mechanism, doncha' know?

[NautiNurse]

100 people gathered at a gas station doesn’t encourage a peaceful event.

[ChicagahAl]

How far from MLK Boulevard was the party?

Chris Rock warned them about that.