Police Believe This Man Murdered a Teenage Boy

Police have charged 34-year-old Dean Emerson Vaccaro of Sand Hill Village with the murder of 15-year-old Rakeem Armstrong. The shooting which happened during a family barbecue in Gardenia Village on Sunday, also left 18-year-old Justin Young critically injured.

While preliminary investigations suggest the shooting stemmed from a dispute over a motorcycle, police have not confirmed whether the motorcycle was stolen or provided further details about the nature of the disagreement.

Young remains in critical condition at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Speaking to News Five by phone on Tuesday, his mother, Kayla Young, described the severity of his injuries. “He’s on a life support machine in a coma because the whole gallbladder and the bowel was ripped up. They tell me that it is a slim chance and they’re not promising me nothing,” she said.

Young had been due to begin job training the morning after the shooting. He is a recent graduate of the IT vocational programme at AC Level Two. Armstrong was a second-form student at Ladyville Technical High School.

The shooting has sparked strong reactions on social media. One commenter wrote: “Rakeem was an innocent bystander that they mix up in a stolen bike… If this man thought these boys stole his bike, then take it up with the parents… now a sweet young boy is gone that had his future ahead of him… I watched him grow up. He goes to church every Sunday.”

Others questioned why the matter was not reported to police. “If the cycle was indeed stolen from him and he knew the people, why not call the police?” one person asked.

But some defended Vaccaro’s actions, arguing that theft should not be taken lightly. “It’s not about material stuff. It’s about the hard work you put in to get your things. People feel sorry for these little thieves, but they are the same ones that are gonna grow up to be murderers,” another commenter wrote.

Tune in to News 5 Live at 6 p.m. for details on what police are saying about the investigation.