Alleged gang shooting at Boynton Beach anti-violence rally leads to arrest of man, 19

Yahoo

15-07-2025

A 19-year-old Boynton Beach man is facing criminal charges after police alleged he was involved in a July 5 shooting that wounded three people during an anti-violence rally at Sara Sims Park.
Jamarion Petty is facing one count each of attempted second-degree murder, aggravated battery and discharging a firearm in public. During a hearing on July 13 at the Palm Beach County Jail, Circuit Judge Gregory Keyser assigned Petty a public defender and ordered that he be held without bail.
As a policy, the county Public Defender's Office does not comment on open cases.
Investigators say Petty fired shots from a small handgun during an apparent exchange of gunfire between rival gang members after hundreds had gathered for a "Peace in the Hood" rally at the park, off Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard west of North Seacrest Boulevard.
About 500 people attended the rally, including three women who sustained gunshot wounds when they were caught in crossfire, police said.
Records show the event was not sanctioned and that city officials had denied the organizer's request for a permit in June.
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During a news conference at the park on July 11, an attorney for one of the shooting victims criticized the city's handling of the event, saying it had a duty to protect attendees even if the event was unsanctioned.
The attorney, Richard Ryles of West Palm Beach, announced a pending lawsuit on behalf on Diamond Delk, who reportedly was shot in her left hip and suffered a fractured leg during the incident.
"The city of Boynton has an ultimate responsibility for maintaining its property in a safe condition and they failed to do that," Ryles said during the news conference.
In a statement provided by a police spokesperson, Boynton Beach disputed whether the shooting occurred on city-owned property.
"The gathering that preceded the shooting was not organized, or sanctioned by the City of Boynton Beach or the City of Boynton Beach Police Department," the statement read.
"While individuals may have been in the vicinity of Sara Sims Park, the initial investigation shows the shooting occurred outside the boundaries of City-owned property, not within the park itself."
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According to Petty's arrest report, surveillance-camera video captured members of two groups — the "16th Ave Boys" and the "Cherry Hill Boyz" — in the vicinity of the park moments before the shooting. One group stood next the fence on the south side of the park, while the other was across the street near a church.
The two group's acknowledged each other's presence before parties on both sides retrieved firearms from their waistbands and began shooting at each other, the report said. One man could reportedly be seen running north through the park as he fired shots to the south, in the direction of the church.
Using investigative leads, police tentatively identified the man as Petty, the report said.
On July 12, Petty voluntarily went to the police station after seeing himself in a "Be on the Lookout" alert. He told investigators he attended the rally by himself and drew his weapon after hearing gunfire. However, he was adamant that he did not fire the weapon, police said.
Investigators then showed surveillance video that purportedly Petty discharging a firearm as he ran with another person. Petty disputed the clarity of the video and stated that he did not believe the person in the video was him, police said.
He then requested an attorney, according to his arrest report.
Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at [e-mail] and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Man, 19, faces charges after shooting at Boynton anti-violence rally