FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – Three men have been arrested and a fourth person is being sought in connection with the shooting deaths of two 16-year-olds in Flagler County.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of Tyrese Patterson, 20, Steven Monroe, 23, and Davondre Williams, 18, who are all members of “Get Stepped On” from the Palm Coast Area. They are accused in connection with the murder of 16-year-old Noah Smith. Terrell Sampson, an 18-year-old and part of the “Bunnell Side” gang, is the fourth suspect being sought. He’s also accused of attempted second-degree murder in Smith’s death.
Williams is also accused of second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder with a firearm in the homicide of 16-year-old Keymarion Hall.
Hall and Smith were not the intended targets, Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said. He said those bullets were meant for Sampson, the fourth person wanted in connection to one of the shootings.
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Smith was killed Jan. 12 and Hall was shot nearby on May 3.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said the murders were the result of a “beef between two groups of wannabe badasses.”
Social media footprints played a large role in evidence gathering and showing pre-meditation, the Sheriff’s Office said. Investigators said multiple social media profiles, interactions, messages, comments, aggressive music content and pictures were used to piece together the alleged involvement of all four suspects.
The sheriff says rival groups known as “Get Stepped On” or “GSO” and the “Bunnell Side” shot at each other from cars over a period of several months and posted threatening photos and videos on social media.
Monroe, who made rap music under the name “Kreek2kutt,” released a song in April that investigators said references the shooting of Smith in which he says, “I could be smokin’ on Terrell, but that boy be takin’ flight.”
Sampson was the intended target of the shooting in January that left Smith dead, investigators said.
“I want the community to understand the magnitude of an investigation like this,” Sheriff Staly said. “Detectives had to not only find the evidence, but work through multiple stories that didn’t match the evidence, while certain members of the community preferred to take street justice into their own hands. Multiple incidents took place involving a handful of subjects that were linked to these senseless murders. Detectives worked endless hours to build solid cases and I hope these guys all get maximum sentences for their violent crimes.”
The three suspects are being held at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility on no bond, while Sampson is still being sought.
Several other people who investigators said are all loosely related to the murder investigations are also in custody and accused of various drug charges, weapon/violence-related felony offenses or probation violations.
“These were difficult cases based on the intertwining of the suspects, relatives and friends wanting to settle disputes with street justice,” Staly continued. “I’m very proud of everyone that worked so hard and their dedication to finding justice for Noah and Keymarion and their families. All four of these dirt bags played an active role in taking lives of these two young victims and will be spending their futures behind bars. I hope today’s arrests help bring closure for the families knowing the murderers and their accomplices are being held accountable.”
Ernest Hall Jr., Keymarion’s grandfather, offered tearful gratitude to the investigators.
“I just want to say thank you to our sheriff’s department,” Hall Jr. said. “This don’t make sense, young people killing each other.”
The Sheriff’s Office said on Jan. 12, members of Bunnell Side, including Sampson, were standing on South Anderson Street when a car operated by members of GSO started taunting them. Sampson threatened to shoot at the vehicle and after it passed, he fired at it and missed, deputies said. The vehicle then circled back around and Monroe and Patterson, who were inside, started shooting, hitting Smith, who investigators said was friends with Sampson and was standing with him. Smith was killed by the gunfire.
On May 3, the sheriff said, Monroe and Williams of GSO were driven to East Booe Street and South Pine Street, where they opened fire, killing Hall and wounding someone else.