On August 6, 2023, a series of events led to the death of 23-year-old Rhasaan Marquese Johnson in Lake Wales, Florida. The incident began when law enforcement officers from the Lake Wales Police Department were called to the Lake Wales Housing Authority Grove Manor complex around 8 p.m. for a medical call. Upon arrival, they learned that a man had been shot.
Inside the apartment, witnesses found Rhasaan Marquese Johnson suffering from gunshot wounds.
Johnson was immediately taken to Advent Health Lake Wales, where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation revealed that Kendrick J. Akins, who was also from Lake Wales and knew Johnson, was a suspect in the shooting. Detectives began searching for Akins and received a tip that he was walking near Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Sessoms Avenue around 11:45 p.m. As they searched for him, detectives heard multiple gunshots and ran toward the sound. There, they found Akins lying on the sidewalk with multiple gunshot wounds.
Despite rendering aid, Akins died from his injuries. The police indicated that while the motive for the first homicide (Johnson's death) was not known, the second shooting death (Akins') appeared to be retaliatory.
The Lake Wales Police Department is still seeking information regarding the shooting death of Akins and has offered a $5,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest of the suspect involved in his death. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Lake Wales Police Department or Crime Stoppers.
