PANAMA CITY — The teenager shot Tuesday afternoon on Kraft Avenue has died, Panama City Police report.
Curtis Hunt, 17, was taken to an area hospital Tuesday afternoon but died a few hours later.
Three people have been apprehended in connection with the shooting, but police said a fourth was at large and the public's help is needed in finding him. Video captured from a patrol vehicle shows the suspect returning to the late-model Grand Marquis in which the suspects had fled, but that suspect got away. He is described as a black male, approximately 15 or 16 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall, and last seen wearing a blue T-shirt, white shorts with black belt, white socks, and white and black tennis shoes, according to the PCPD.
Police are offering a cash reward of up to $500 to the first person who provides information leading to his arrest and conviction.
Anyone having information regarding this case can call the PCPD at 850-872-3100. To report a tip anonymously, call CrimeStoppers at 850-785-TIPS.
Below is an earlier version of this report:
PANAMA CITY — Several suspects are in custody and two firearms have been recovered relating to a shooting on Kraft Avenue on Tuesday.
Three suspects were transported to the Panama City Police Department for questioning and investigators were still searching for other potential suspects.
Officers responded to the scene of the shooting at around 1 p.m. on Tuesday and quickly intensified the search, which also included helicopters, along 11th Street in Panama City.
Police have not released the identity of the shooting victim, pending a notification of his next of kin.
The nature of his injuries also has not been released, though many nearby residents who saw the aftermath of the shooting said his face was covered in blood.
Residents said the young man appeared to be a teenager. He was sitting on a bench along the roadside by himself in the 200 block of Kraft Avenue, neighbors said.
Four other males were spotted walking in the area moments earlier.
Residents said it appeared the shooting was unprovoked.
“It’s sad a person can just come up and shoot somebody’s son,” said one Kraft Avenue resident, who did not want to be identified. “It’s senseless.”
Based on information gathered at the scene, police stopped a vehicle at Royal Arms Apartments at 1420 Balboa Ave. and took several suspects into custody. Their names and charges, if any, have not been released last Tuesday. Because the scene of the arrest was virtually across Balboa Avenue from Bay District Schools headquarters, a School Board meeting in progress was adjourned until it was safe to resume later Tuesday.
Anyone having information regarding this case can call the Panama City Police Department, 850-872-3100, or they can report their tips anonymously to CrimeStoppers at 850-785-TIPS.