Florida authorities have made two arrests in connection with the killings of three teenagers in rural Marion County around March 30 but have been unable to locate a third suspect.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) arrested two juveniles, one of whom is just 12 years old, in connection with the triple homicide. A third juvenile suspect is at large.
“There are individuals out there viewing…who want to blame the one thing that has no ability or the capacity to commit the crime itself, and that’s the gun,” MCSO Sheriff Billy Woods said during a press conference. “These individuals committed the crime.”
The three suspects “fled the scene but left a lot of evidence in their wake,” Woods said.
FLORIDA TRIPLE HOMICIDE VICTIMS LIKELY KNEW GANG-LINKED SUSPECTS, SHERIFF SAYS
Sheriff Billy Woods announces the arrests of three juveniles in connection to the killings of three teens. (MCSO)
The suspects are part of a larger group who have been involved in burglaries and robberies, according to the sheriff.
Woods added that he had to “stare into the eyes” of the suspects’ mothers who were “willing to give their sons everything” before their arrests.
THIRD FLORIDA TEEN DIES IN SUSPECTED GANG-LINKED TRIPLE HOMICIDE
“I am a father, and I cannot fathom what they were going through. These mothers and the mothers across this nation need all of your help because here’s what infuriates me,” he said. “The fact is: society fails them. We do not hold our juveniles accountable. We minimize their actions.”
The three deceased teenage friends — a 17-year-old male and two 16-year-old females identified as Layla Silvernail and Camille Quarles — were shot and left for dead in the rural county north of Orlando sometime between March 30 and April 1.
The apparent triple homicide has left Marion County residents on edge, especially after officials announced the unrelated murder of an adult male last week.
Layla Silvernail and Camille Quarles, along with an unidentified 17-year-old male, were shot and left for dead in Marion County Florida, between March 30 and April 1. (Facebook/Layla Silvernail/Camille Quarles)
The mystery began March 30, when MCSO deputies responded to the area of Forest Lakes Park on SE 183rd Avenue Road, where they located Silvernail, 16, with a gunshot wound.
CASH APP FOUNDER BOB LEE DIED PLEADING WITH 911 FOR HELP: REPORT
Authorities transported the teenager to a hospital in critical condition, and she lost brain function until she was pronounced dead.
A day after finding Silvernail, MCSO deputies responded to SE 94th Street and SE 188th Court and located a deceased 17-year-old male with a gunshot wound.
The next morning, on April 1, the MCSO Major Crimes Unit, Forensic Unit and Underwater Recovery Team responded to the area of Malauka Loop and Malauka Loop Trace and found Layla’s vehicle partially submerged in a body of water.
Three teenage shooting victims were found left for dead miles apart in Marion County, Florida, between March 30 and April 1. (America’s Newsroom)
The suspects were in Silvernail’s vehicle with the victims prior to their deaths, according to the sheriff.
“She was there of her own free will,” Woods said of Silvernail.
After obtaining a search warrant and searching her vehicle, authorities found 16-year-old Quarles dead from a gunshot wound.
Both Quarles and Silvernail played softball, and Silvernail was homeschooled.
Woods previously told Fox News Digital that he believed the suspects were part of a “wannabe” or “neighborhood” gang, and the victims likely knew them.
Layla Silvernail’s family is planning to donate the 16-year-old’s organs, according to a GoFundMe. (Facebook/Layla Silvernail)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Woods said his office is seeking any information regarding Silvernail’s vehicle, a white Chevy sedan, from anyone who may have seen it on or around March 30.
The MCSO is asking anyone with information to contact Det. Ryan Stith at 352-368-3542. Anonymous tipsters can contact Crime Stoppers of Marion County at 352-368-STOP (7867) and reference No. 23-22.
