FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - A 17-year-old boy was fatally shot on Fort Lauderdale Beach just before the start of 2026, police said, leaving loved ones devastated, turning a stretch of A1A into a crime scene and triggering a search for the gunman responsible.
Fort Lauderdale Police units responded to a call of a possible shooting late Wednesday night at 17 South Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard, at around 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Upon their arrival, officers located the victim suffering from a gunshot wound.
Officers secured the scene, and tactical medical aid was immediately given to the teen, who was later identified as Joshua Gipson Jr.
Cellphone video captured the moment panic spread, as witnesses ran for cover.
“That’s real deal, better get down,” a man is heard saying in the video.
Jeff Saylor told 7News he heard gunshots ring out.
“I heard another shot, a couple of shots, I believe about five total,” said Saylor.
Investigators said someone began shooting outside the CVS pharmacy in the Beach Place complex.
Some witnesses recognized that the popping sounds weren’t fireworks going off in the sky.
“And I said, ‘That’s not fireworks,'” said Bob McDonald, another witness. “It scared the heck out of me.”
Guests at a nearby hotel even received a text message from the building’s management warning them to stay indoors.
“It was alarming, right, because you don’t know what’s going on, you know. In this day and age, you don’t know what it is or what it could be,” said Chris Pate.
Paramedics with Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue promptly transported Gipson, who had just turned 17, as a trauma alert to Broward Health Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The teen’s grieving father, Joshua Gipson Sr., said his son was out with friends when he believes the teen was caught in the crossfire.
“He was doing the right thing, he didn’t have no problems,” he said. “An innocent bystander. Some people were arguing when the shooting started and he got shot.”
One witness who did not wish to be identified told 7News the shooting appeared to happen after two people got into an argument, but authorities have not made any conclusions.
“A guy, he just passed away right there, he just got shot,” said the witness. “I’m 18 years old, and I saw him, he was 17 years old, and it just broke my heart seeing that.”
“I just hate it happened,” said a longtime friend of the teen who did not wish to be identified.
The elder Gipson said his son was a football player for several South Florida high school teams and planned to attend Virginia Tech.
“He made good choices in life, you know what I’m saying? He wasn’t making anything bad,” he said.
A lifelong friend of Gipson, who asked not to be identified or show his face on camera, said the two had known each other since they were kids who played football together.
“He was funny, he was fun to be around, he was always a happy soul. He was a good person,” he said.
Detectives have not shared many details but said they believe this to be an isolated incident.
Gipson’s death comes a few days after, police said, five people were hurt in a shooting just a few miles away, in downtown Fort Lauderdale’s Himmarshee Village district.
Detectives said someone started shooting outside Dicey Riley’s Irish Pub on Southwest Second Street, off Third Avenue, at around 2 a.m. on Sunday.
The FBI has since joined forces with local police, as they work to track down who was behind this overnight shooting.
As for Gipson’s loved ones, they are still trying to make sense of it all.
“I went blank. I don’t know how to – it’s just crazy,” said his friend. “I mean, I expected a lot on New Year’s night, but when it’s one of your peoples, or one of your old friends or somebody you grew up with, you don’t know what to think.”
The victim’s mother described him as the kind of kid that younger children looked up to and that he was fearless.
The incident remains under investigation.
A GoFundMe has been created to assist the family with funeral expenses. If you would like to donate, click here.
If you have additional information regarding this shooting or the gunman’s whereabouts, please contact Detective J. Sanchez of the homicide unit at 954-828-4900 or call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
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