This week, the Club Blu Task Force announced the arrests of, and charges filed against, five people for the murders of a 14-year-old and an 18-year-old that occurred at Club Blu on July 25, 2016. The mass shooting at 3580 Evans Avenue in Fort Myers was during an “under 18 beach party” at the club that night. Two people were shot and killed, fourteen people shot and wounded.
The Club Blu Task Force incudes the Fort Myers Police Department, State Attorney’s Office, FBI, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and U.S. Marshal’s Service.
As part of Operation Club Blu, the Fort Myers Police Department, FBI, and the Florida Regional U.S. Marshal’s Task Force, carried out a coordinated plan to serve arrest warrants. In a span of just 15 minutes, Demetrious O’Neal, Derrick Leon Church, Tajze Akir Battle, Kierra Kashayla Russ, and Don Dontrill Loggins were all taken into custody.
Each defendant has been charged with two counts of Second Degree Murder which is punishable by life felony and one count each of Conspiracy to Commit Murder, a second-degree felony. The information, or charging document, for each defendant, was filed by prosecutors Tuesday.
The charges read, in part, as follows:
Between and including July 24, 2016 and July 25, 2016 in Lee County, Florida, did unlawfully, by an act imminently dangerous to another, and evincing a depraved mind regardless of human life, kill and murder * (victim 1), a human being, by causing * (victim 1) to be shot with a firearm, contrary to Florida Statute 782.04(2); 777.011,
Between and including July 24, 2016 and July 25, 2016 in Lee County, Florida, did unlawfully, by an act imminently dangerous to another, and evincing a depraved mind regardless of human life, kill and murder * (victim 2), a human being, by causing * (victim 2) to be shot with a firearm, contrary to Florida Statute 782.04(2); 777.011,
Between and including July 1, 2016 and July 25, 2016 in Lee County, Florida, Don Dontrill Loggins AKA “Trell” along with co-defendants Demetrius O’Neal AKA “Wetta” or “D”, Derrick Leon Church, Tajze Akir Battle AKA “Tazz”, Kierra Kashayla Russ AKA “Kee” or “Kee thePlug”, did unlawfully agree, conspire, combine or confederate, or endeavor to agree, conspire, combine or confederate with one or more of his co-defendants and/or others, both known and unknown, to commit Second Degree Murder, which resulted in the deaths of * (victim 1) and * (victim 2), human beings, contrary to Florida Statute 782.04(2); 777.04(3),
State Attorney Amira Fox, Fort Myers Police Chief Derrick Diggs, and FBI Supervisory Senior Resident Agent Davis Christy, joined to direct additional resources to the existing task force earlier this year. Agencies dedicated experienced personnel to the Operation Club Blu team under this new initiative. They have been working on developing information in this case and their work has led to charges being filed for this crime. The State Attorney’s Office Cold Case Homicide Unit was assigned as well as law enforcement personnel from each agency.
Assistant State Attorneys Dan Feinberg, Anthony Kunasek, and Sara Miller are part of that team and will be prosecuting the case. The team also includes Fort Myers Police Detective Wolfgang Daniel, Fort Myers Police Department Attorney Bob Lee, FBI Special Agent James Roncinske, and State Attorney’s Office Homicide Investigator Steve Scalici.
“By bringing the knowledge and experience of these specific people together, and the partnership of the agencies, we are able to announce these arrests today. The victims and their families should be first in our thoughts. I hope the arrests bring some sense of peace to those directly impacted by this heinous crime which took the lives of two young victims and left fourteen injured. The mass shooting that occurred impacted the lives of so many innocent people. This case is far from over and as we enter into the prosecution stage, our work is far from done,” said State Attorney Amira Fox.
We are also releasing some evidence photos from the case as this investigation remains active. We have released photos of five weapons involved in the crime as well as photos of three locations involved including Residence Drive, Sumter Avenue, and Club Blu on Evans Avenue. All three locations are in Fort Myers.
If you have any information on the weapons, locations, or events of that night, there are two numbers you can call.
Tips can be provided to the State Attorney’s Office Cold Case Homicide Unit Tip Line: 1-833-987-2611 as well as Crime Stoppers:1-800-780-TIPS.
