FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – On Thursday, a second arrest was carried out in connection with a deadly shooting that happened on May 9th in the parking lot of an apartment complex in Fort Lauderdale.
The incident was reported around 9:40 p.m. on that night outside a residence located at 3741 SW First St.
As per an arrest warrant, surveillance footage depicts four individuals, including the victim, standing outside an apartment building. In the video, someone approaches the victim and fires a single shot.
Law enforcement mentioned that one of the victim’s companions retaliated using an AR-15, shooting at the assailant approximately eight times.
Reportedly, the original gunman, Marcelle Thermitus, aged 23, and his alleged accomplice, Shaquile Travis Walker, aged 22, arrived at Delray Medical Center shortly after. This was because Thermitus had sustained a gunshot wound to his right thigh.
Both men were interrogated while at the hospital, but their accounts of how Thermitus got shot and their whereabouts at the time differed, according to the warrant.
Following their release from the hospital the following day, Thermitus uploaded a video on Instagram featuring himself and Walker, accompanied by the caption “Spilt da lean.”
As per authorities, “lean” refers to a beverage typically made from cough syrup containing codeine or promethazine, often having a purple hue. However, in street slang, the phrase “spilt da lean” signifies a celebration, often related to acts of violence such as shooting or killing.
The warrant specifies that a witness informed investigators that he believed the shooter was an individual known as “Boogie,” who had previously been involved in a conflict with the victim at the same location.
Detectives noted that records from cellphone towers indicated that both Thermitus and Walker were present at the scene of the shooting when it transpired.
The victim, shot in the chest, was declared deceased at the location. Following Marsy’s Law, the victim’s identity was withheld from the arrest warrant.
The motive behind the shooting remains unclear.
Thermitus apprehended on July 25th, and Walker, arrested on Thursday, are both facing charges of premeditated murder.
