On the afternoon of December 14, 2025, a violent incident occurred at Berry Park in Leesburg, Florida, disrupting the usual calm of the community area where families often gathered. Police officers responded to reports of a shooting shortly before 1:00 p.m. and discovered an unresponsive 18-year-old male inside an SUV belonging to his mother. The victim, identified as Juan Alberto Gomez Jr., had sustained at least one gunshot wound.
Despite the immediate arrival of Leesburg Fire-Rescue and emergency medical services, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Witnesses present at the park described a chaotic aftermath, reporting that three younger individuals exited the vehicle immediately following the gunshot. These subjects were seen grabbing trash bags from the car before fleeing the area on foot. While onlookers were unable to provide detailed descriptions of the suspects at the time, the brazen nature of the crime in a public space left the community shaken. Friends and family later described the victim, known affectionately as "Junie," as an aspiring rapper with a kind heart who frequently visited the same park with his father to distribute food to the homeless.
As the investigation into the homicide progressed, detectives from the Leesburg Police Department identified two teenagers as persons of interest in the case. Authorities began searching for 17-year-olds James Fenderson IV and D'Yuntre Wright, believing they possessed critical information regarding the events that led to Gomez's death. Investigators did not immediately clarify if these teens were among the trio seen running from the scene, nor had they announced any formal arrests or charges by late December. The victim's mother, Valerie Long, publicly pleaded for those with knowledge of the suspects' whereabouts to come forward, expressing her devastation and desperate need for justice.
