Tragedy struck on Monday when a 16-year-old boy, Vontraez Banner, was fatally shot while collecting mail from his grandmother’s mailbox at her home in Florida. The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office has recovered the vehicle they believe was involved in the shooting, but no arrests have been made.
Sheriff Ken Mascara reported the boy was shot multiple times when he innocently walked out to get his mail. The sheriff added that the boy was likely targeted and that the incident was isolated. When the shots were heard, a relative living next door to the grandmother’s house rushed out to the driveway and found Vontreaz.
Vontreaz had attended Fort Pierce Westwood Academy as a sophomore last year. After the shooting, police sectioned off the area to find the shooters.
On Tuesday, the sheriff’s office released a description of the car they believe was involved, a dark gray 2016 Chevrolet Cruze with a dark tint and a dent on the driver’s side rear quarter panel. The license plate number is AM99IM. Detectives asked for any information regarding the vehicle in the area between 1:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. on Monday.
When WPTV interviewed a neighbor, they commented “I feel bad for the family, too young, too young. I moved here in 1973, and I’ve never seen nothing like this before in my life.”