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Florida teen allegedly fired gun at homicide memorial

Copeland
Copeland
By Palm Beach Post Breaking News Staff
July 11, 2015

A 19-year-old man was jail Saturday morning after allegedly firing a gun during a homicide remembrance walk Friday night.

Albert Copeland is facing charges of grand theft of a firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office said. The gun recovered Friday night was reported stolen from the Port St. Lucie Police Department.

The march took place two days after Wednesday’s fatal shooting of Dontavious Taylor, 25, who became the city’s fifth homicide victim of 2015.

Marchers had gathered at Carver and North 31st streets, near where Taylor was killed, when a disturbance broke out, the sheriff’s office said. Someone then yelled that a man had a gun and was running from the area. Sheriff’s deputies and Fort Pierce police ran after the man, whom they say had thrown a .9-mm handgun onto a rooftop as he fled.

Earlier Friday, members of a county task force formed to cut down on violence in the area were shot at while in a marked car, authorities said. No injuries were reported, but at least one bullet struck the car.

It was not immediately clear Saturday morning of what previous felonies Copeland has been convicted.

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