Seventeen-year-old Anthony Steven Romero, Hispanic/Latino, was shot and killed on July 5, 2025, during a confrontation in the 22000 block of Hernando Avenue in Port Charlotte, Florida. Deputies responding to a 911 call around 5:20 p.m. found Romero suffering multiple gunshot wounds; he was pronounced dead at the scene. A second teenager was also shot and taken to hospital.

Investigators say the violence grew out of an ongoing dispute between the teens that escalated when both allegedly armed themselves and exchanged gunfire. A firearm was recovered by deputies as detectives processed the scene and collected evidence. Within days authorities arrested 19-year-old Michael Balunas, who was wounded at the scene, charging him with second-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a Florida delinquent adult. Detectives later arrested 18-year-old Octavion Washington as a principal in the first degree to homicide, concluding he was directly involved in the shooting.

The sheriff’s office described the case as a tragic culmination of a teenage dispute that left two families permanently altered. Anyone who knew Anthony or witnessed the events on Hernando Avenue that evening is urged to share information with investigators.