WALTON COUNTY, Fla. – A 19-year-old man is recovering after being shot during an early morning incident in DeFuniak Springs, and authorities have arrested 23-year-old Shakeem Malik Thomas in connection with the case.
The Walton County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) reports that the shooting occurred on Passion Flower Street after dispatchers received a chilling text-to-911 message in the early morning hours: “send ambulance, police, person shot.”
When deputies arrived, they entered the residence and discovered the 19-year-old victim lying on a couch in the living room, applying pressure to a gunshot wound to his chest. Deputies immediately secured the home while Walton County Fire Rescue personnel provided emergency medical treatment. The victim was then transported to Fort Walton Beach Medical Center, where he remains under medical care. His current condition has not been released, but authorities have confirmed his injuries are serious.
Witnesses inside the home told investigators they had been asleep when they were startled awake by a noise. Upon checking, they found the victim already shot. “We were all asleep and then heard a loud bang,” one resident reportedly told deputies. “When we got to the living room, he was on the couch, bleeding.”
As investigators began processing the scene, Shakeem Malik Thomas quickly emerged as a suspect. Thomas, who was living in the residence, has a criminal history and had only recently been released from prison on June 15th after serving five years for armed robbery. Detectives allege that Thomas was present at the time of the shooting and fled the scene before being apprehended later in the investigation.
Thomas has since been arrested and charged with Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon and Felon in Possession of a Firearm. He is currently being held at the Walton County Jail, awaiting his first court appearance.
The motive for the shooting remains unclear, and the investigation is ongoing. The Walton County Sheriff’s Office has urged anyone with additional information to come forward, emphasizing the importance of community assistance in violent crime cases.
“This is an active and ongoing investigation,” a WCSO spokesperson stated. “We are working to piece together the events leading up to this shooting and ensure that justice is served for the victim and their family.”
Further updates will be released as more information becomes available.
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