VERO BEACH — A 17-year-old has been arrested in connection with a shooting at a local laundromat that left a juvenile wounded in a nearby vehicle, police said.
The incident occurred around 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 22 in the parking lot of Sunshine Laundry Centers at 1405 16th St., just west of U.S. 1 and near Vero Beach High School. Authorities say the teen approached the west end of the lot and fired multiple shots at a vehicle occupied by an adult driver and three underage passengers.
One of the juveniles inside was struck in the lower body, suffering what police described as non-life-threatening injuries. The victim was initially taken to a family member’s home about four miles away before being transported to Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital for treatment.
The shooter, whose name has been omitted from the article since he’s a minor, fled on foot south of the laundromat, according to witnesses who provided a description to responding officers. Police recovered four spent bullet casings at the scene and reviewed surveillance footage as part of their investigation.
The Vero Beach Police Department arrested the suspect at about 4 a.m. on Dec. 24 at a residence near the laundromat. He faces two felony charges: aggravated battery with a firearm and shooting a deadly missile into an occupied vehicle.
The teenager was booked into the Department of Juvenile Justice facility in Fort Pierce. Investigators have not released a motive for the shooting, and it’s unclear whether the suspect and the victim knew each other.
The investigation remains ongoing, police said.