Deputies in Florida have arrested two boys, ages 12 and 17, in connection to the murders of three teen friends in Marion County. One teen suspect remains at large.
“My emotions are all over the place, because I am so, so proud of my guys and girls,” Sheriff Woods said during a news conference on Friday.
Woods said Friday that the six teens were together when the murders happened.
“We had out there it was gang-related. We have nothing specific to say that it was a rivalry. However, in some shape or another, each were associated with a gang,” Woods said.
In the news: Wesley Chapel Man Dies While Laying In The Road And Being Struck By Car In Zephyrhills
A witness heard gunshots at the time detectives believe the three teens were all murdered, according to the sheriff’s office.
Woods was asked how the teens acquired the gun, “Car, burglaries. All the gun laws we got in place didn’t prevent it, did it. Neither will any new ones because here’s the fact, the bad guy is going to get a gun, no matter what law you have put in place. These juveniles should not even possess a handgun.”
At some point, the juvenile suspects turned on the three victims in what Woods described as a robbery.
“These three individuals turned on our victims and murdered them. They fled the scenes and left a lot of evidence in their wake,” Woods said.
The Murders
Last Thursday night, deputies responded to the area of Forest Lakes Park on SE 183rd Avenue Road in Ocala. When they arrived, they located a female lying beside the road suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim was transported to the hospital in critical condition and later identified as 16-year-old Layla Silvernail.
The following morning, deputies responded to SE 94th Street and SE 188th Court in reference to a 17-year-old male lying beside the road, and he was found to be deceased from a gunshot wound.
On Saturday, more deputies responded to the area of Malauka Loop and Malauka Loop Trace in reference to information that Layla’s vehicle was partially submerged at the edge of a nearby body of water.
Members of the MCSO Major Crimes Unit, Forensic Unit, and Underwater Recovery Team responded to collect evidence and recover the vehicle.
After obtaining a search warrant for Layla’s vehicle, a search of her vehicle was conducted and a third victim was located. The 16-year-old female had also sustained a gunshot wound and was pronounced dead.
Android Users, Click To Download The Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook and Twitter . Signup for our free newsletter .
We can’t do this without your help; visit our GiveSendGo page and donate any dollar amount; every penny helps.