A 34-year-old Sandhill Village resident has been formally charged in a fatal weekend shooting that left one 15-year-old dead and an 18-year-old critically wounded, law enforcement officials confirmed this week. The violent incident unfolded shortly after 8 p.m. on Sunday in Gardenia Village, where a lone gunman opened fire during a local family gathering, according to lead investigators.
The fatally wounded victim, Rackeem Armstrong, was at a nearby shop when he was struck by gunfire, while his 18-year-old cousin Justin Young sustained life-threatening injuries in the attack. Investigators have preliminary tied the shooting to an ongoing dispute over a missing motorcycle, though the full investigation remains active as authorities work to confirm all details of the incident.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Stacy Smith, a staff officer with the department, released an official statement confirming the arrest and charges. “As a result of the ongoing investigation into the shooting incident which resulted in the murder of fifteen-year-old Rackeem Armstrong and the shooting injury of 18-year-old Justin Young, police have formally arrested and charged thirty-four-year-old Dean Vaccaro of Sand Hill Village for the crimes of murder, attempted murder, use of deadly means of harm, and dangerous harm,” Smith said.
In a raw, emotional interview following the killing, the father of the deceased victim shared his grief and called for an end to escalating community violence. “Whoever did this, they know who they are. But everything is being left in God’s hand, and I believe and I know that my God will deal with this,” he said. “To me, mistaken identity, wrong place at the wrong time, those are both scenarios that keep taking place over and over… it doesn’t make no sense killing ourselves, killing each other for stupidness, stupidity. They make their emotions rise, they get angry. And instead of thinking of the consequences, they just go and do something. Probably they’re high too on alcohol or drugs or whatever they were on. And these scenarios keep happening over and over.”
The grieving father added that his family is asking the public for prayer as they navigate this loss, asking for spiritual strength and comfort for the entire family amid the tragedy. Meanwhile, the family of injured victim Justin Young has issued a public appeal for blood donations to support his ongoing medical treatment.
This report is adapted from a transcript of an evening television news broadcast, with all statements from Creole-speaking sources transcribed using a standardized spelling system for accessibility.