Police say an alleged robbery tied to a social media-arranged gun sale ended in the 17-year-old girl’s death.
RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. — Three juveniles have been arrested in the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old girl after investigators said a planned robbery during a gun-sale meeting turned deadly in Riviera Beach, according to police.
The arrests came about a month after the Aug. 21 shooting in the 1400 block of West 36th Street. Riviera Beach police said the three teenagers arranged through social media to meet the girl, who was trying to sell a firearm. Investigators allege the teens instead intended to rob her. The attempted robbery ended in gunfire, and the girl later died from her injuries.
Police said one of the accused teenagers is 17 and the other two are 16. Authorities have not publicly identified the juveniles or the victim, citing their ages and the continuing investigation. All three suspects attend schools in the Palm Beach County school system, according to police. Investigators said the victim and suspects were from the same general area and may have known one another in passing, but police do not believe they were close friends.
The teenager accused of firing the fatal shot faces charges that include first-degree premeditated murder with a firearm, principal in the first degree and tampering with a witness, victim or informant, police said. The other two juveniles each face first-degree murder, principal in the first degree and attempted armed robbery charges. The charges are allegations, and the cases have not been resolved in court.
Riviera Beach Police Chief Michael Coleman said investigators believe the meeting was arranged around the proposed sale of a firearm. Police have not disclosed whether the gun that was supposed to be sold was also the weapon used in the shooting. Authorities also have not said whether that firearm has been recovered. Investigators are still trying to determine how the 17-year-old came to possess the gun she allegedly planned to sell.
Technology helped detectives trace the suspects after the shooting, police said. Investigators used Flock cameras and license plate readers to track a vehicle seen leaving the area. Coleman said police were able to follow the vehicle to a home, providing investigators with an important lead as they worked to identify those they believed were involved. The U.S. Marshals Service later assisted Riviera Beach police with the arrests.
One of the juveniles was arrested in Jacksonville after investigators learned that he had left the Riviera Beach area, according to police. The other two were taken into custody in Riviera Beach. Coleman said investigators considered the possibility that the teen who traveled to Jacksonville had left to avoid authorities, though the circumstances surrounding his departure remain part of the investigation.
Police announced the arrests during a Sept. 22 news conference. “This case has shocked this community and shocked me as well,” Coleman said. He described the killing as a case in which young people allegedly set out to commit a violent crime that resulted in the death of another teenager. Police said detectives have interviewed all three accused juveniles but have not disclosed details of those interviews.
The use of license plate readers also became a focus of the police briefing. Coleman defended the technology as an investigative tool, saying it helped officers quickly trace the vehicle connected to the case. Police have not released the underlying camera records or other evidence linking each juvenile to the alleged robbery, and those allegations will be subject to the court process.
The three juveniles were being held through Palm Beach County’s juvenile justice system as of the police briefing. Whether any of them will ultimately be prosecuted as adults will be decided through the legal process, with state prosecutors expected to determine how the cases move forward. Police said the investigation remains active and that additional arrests or charges are possible as detectives continue reviewing evidence.
Author note: Last updated September 22, 2026.