CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Clearwater Police Department says it has arrested the man who officers say is responsible for a shooting earlier this month in Clearwater that left a man dead and three people hurt.
Detectives say Derriontae Ward, 19, faces one count of first-degree murder and three counts of first-degree attempted murder for a drive-by shooting that happened at Drew Street and U.S. 19 on March 8.
Authorities say it all began around 9:30 p.m. that night. According to police, a car with faded paint pulled up next to the second one, and a shooter fired more than a dozen times into the second car before speeding off.
One of the people in the second car died after being airlifted to St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa. Clearwater police later identified him as 18-year-old Ivon Cobbs.
Three other people were in that second car with Cobbs. They were all taken to Bayfront Health St. Petersburg. Marshae Walton, 31, is in critical condition, while 24-year-old Yvonne Sanders is in serious condition and 24-year-old Evers Maxie is stable.
Detectives say they believe the four individuals were targeted, and this was "not a random act."
Clearwater police say Ward has been arrested 37 times.
Detectives say he was out on bond at the time of the shooting and that helped investigators tie him to the case because he was wearing a GPS device on his ankle. The device shows he was at the same restaurant as the people who were shot before the shooting happened, police say. Officers also say GPS showed he was at the scene of the crime.
Investigators say the day after the shooting Ward cut off the GPS monitor.
"You often hear about initiatives to reduce sentences for people who have
chosen a life of criminality. There is no doubt that a criminal like Ward is
the beneficiary of those initiatives and the safety of the general public is
sacrificed," said Chief Dan Slaughter. "The recent increase in gun violence is
directly related to Ward and a small band of criminals. There will be more
arrests, but what we hope to see are consequences in the form of incarceration for the safety of the public."
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