Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS

GIFFORD — Detectives were following up on leads after an overnight, Labor Day shooting in a vacant lot that left a 22-year-old Fort Pierce man dead, sheriff’s officials said. There was a large crowd and several vehicles parked in the area along Old Dixie Highway when gunfire erupted, said Sgt. Kevin Jaworski, a spokesperson with the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office.

“Several shots were heard and an adult male was found unresponsive with several gunshot wounds,” Jaworski said. “We know there were a lot of people in the area and we are asking anyone with information to come forward.”

Sheriff Eric Flowers briefed news reporters on the details of the shooting at a Monday news conference held in front of the sheriff’s office. A motive behind the gunfire was not immediately known.

This is the second fatal shooting to occur in Gifford in less than a month. Flowers noted that more than 100 people gathered in the area of Monday’s shooting, but nobody has yet to come forward with information.

“We had over 100 people out there right up to 3 a.m. Our deputies observed them, saw them out there before (the shooting), and no problems. Then all of a sudden, when somebody gets shot, nobody wants to talk to us,” Flowers said. “It’s really a tragedy. There are people who saw what happened, who know what happened out there. We need them to come forward and be good witnesses.”

The man’s name was not publicly released, but the family has been notified of the deadly slaying, Flowers said. Jaworski said the man may have patronized a nearby lounge, Players Pool Lounge, before the shooting.

Sheriff’s deputies responded to reports of gunfire about 2:51 a.m. Monday in the lot in the 4000 block of Old Dixie Highway, south of 41st Street. A passerby leaving Players Pool Lounge called 911 after seeing the man’s lifeless body lying on the ground, sheriff’s officials said.

The incident occurred just south of Kool Kuts barbershop and Players Pool Lounge, Jaworski said. The barbershop was closed at the time of the shooting.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene by first responders. There were no drugs found on scene, sheriff’s officials said.

Detectives canvassed the area for any surveillance footage.

“We’ll continue to pull a variety of different sources – cell phones, cameras, license plate readers. I’m confident we’ll have lots of evidence,” Flowers said. “But, we still need witnesses and cooperation.”

Flowers said deputies continue to investigate the murder of Robert Trusty III, 24, who was shot Aug. 8 outside of a family home in the 3100 block of 43rd Street, Gifford. The sheriff said he attended Trusty’s funeral and are hoping witnesses will come forward in that case as well.

Flowers said it was unclear if the two shootings were connected, but noted there are people in common who are linked to both cases. Both shootings occurred less than a mile from each other, the sheriff said.

“This is a very young crowd. The people of Gifford do not want this violence,” Flowers said. “This is the next generation of kids in their early 20s who are running around together and causing these problems. Our team is dedicated to doing whatever we have to do to stop this violence.”

Flowers said the sheriff’s office has procedures in place to protect the safety of witnesses by placing them in a hotel outside of town, if needed. The sheriff said some witnesses don’t come forward because they don’t want to lose friends and relatives.

Flowers said deputies will be tracking persons of interest in Monday’s homicide. Those who want to come forward anonymously can contact Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers and possibly be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.

The sheriff’s message to the suspected shooter:

“The clock is ticking. Every day that goes by, our evidence builds. Every one of us is carrying a cell phone around. Every one of these vehicles has data that’s collected inside of it. Those are all breadcrumbs… pieces of evidence,” Flowers said. “We’ve got one of the best crime scene units…one of the best detective teams anywhere in the state. It’s a matter of time before these folks get arrested and in the interim, we’re going to put you in jail for everything else we can until we can make that case for a homicide.”

Those with information on the shooting should call the sheriff’s office at 772-569-6700 or Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-800-273-TIPS.

Photos provided by Indian River County Sheriff’s Office