16-year-old cheerleader killed when boys ambush rival gang at dance, Florida cops say
A 16-year-old girl was killed at a dance when two 15-year-old boys tried to ambush rival gang members and sent bullets flying at innocent bystanders, according to investigators in Florida.
Ja’yhanna Johnson died around 11 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 11, after numerous 911 calls reported gunshots were being fired into a community center near Clewiston, the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office said in a release.
The center was hosting a dance at the time, officials said.
A detective was in the area, heard the shots and arrived to find Johnson face down on the ground outside the community center, Hendry County Sheriff Steve Whidden said at an Oct. 16 news conference.
Two suspects have been arrested, he said.
“Roosevelt Adderly III and Jayden Lawson, who were known gang members, decided to have a (confrontation) with other known gang members who they believed to be at the party. These two individuals climbed a fence and laid in wait for the other gang members to walk outside,” Whidden said.
“When they saw who they believed to be their rivals, they opened fire, missing all the intended targets ... and striking and killing Ja’yhanna. A very senseless act.”
The department “had nothing to go on” at the time of the killing, but investigators narrowed down the suspects after conducting more than 100 interviews, Whidden said.
“I can’t tell you how senseless this is. Ja’yhanna is a straight-A student ... who was wanting to get into nursing school,” he said.
Among the unexpected twists investigators learned is that Adderly is the victim’s first cousin, Whidden said.
The two suspects have been charged with second-degree homicide, and were “ordered to be held in Secure Detention for 21 days,” the sheriff’s office said.
Johnson was a student at Clewiston High School and a cheerleader, WBBH reported.
Clewiston is about a 100-mile drive northwest from Miami.
This story was originally published October 17, 2024 at 12:49 PM with the headline "16-year-old cheerleader killed when boys ambush rival gang at dance, Florida cops say."