SARASOTA: ONE ARRESTED, SECOND SUSPECT SOUGHT IN FATAL SHOOTING

SCSO

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 20-year-old Sarasota man in connection with the fatal shooting at Ackerman Park.

Deputies responded just before 11:00 p.m. on December 29 to reports of gunshots at Ackerman Park located at 400 Apex Road in Sarasota. According to witnesses, a large group of 40 to 50 people were gathered in the park when several shots were fired from the back seat of a vehicle in the parking lot. Bystanders discovered the victim on the ground with a single gunshot wound to his back and drove him away from the scene, meeting paramedics in another parking lot nearby where he was pronounced deceased. Through investigation, detectives determined the suspect vehicle to be a gold Hyundai occupied by Kalvion Turner, DOB 07/26/01, and Nyquan Priester, DOB 05/10/01, in the back seat. During an interview, Turner admitted to being in the car at the time of the shooting but denied firing the gun. The driver of the Hyundai later identified Priester as the shooter. The investigation also revealed hours after the shooting, Turner accompanied Priester to Whitaker Park located at 1455 North Tamiami Trail in the city of Sarasota where Priester may have discarded a firearm. Detectives with assistance from the Sheriff’s Underwater Recovery Force (SURF) searched the park and surrounding water but were unsuccessful in locating a weapon. On Thursday afternoon, Turner voluntarily arrived the sheriff’s office headquarters and was taken into custody.

Turner, of 2827 Pershing Avenue, is charged with Principal to Second Degree Murder with a Firearm and remains in custody today without bond. Detectives are continuing to search for Priester who is wanted on single counts of Second Degree Murder and Discharging a Firearm from a Vehicle Within 1,000 Feet of Any Person. He is approximately 5’3” tall, weighs 145 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Criminal Investigations Section at 941.861.4900. The investigation is ongoing.