ORLANDO, Fla. — An Ocoee High School senior who committed to playing football at the University of Louisville in the fall was killed late Saturday in a shooting that injured three others in the Carver Shores neighborhood, the Orlando Police Department said.
Police said Dexter A. Rentz, 18, died in the shooting, which was reported shortly after 11:15 p.m. at Elese Street and Deerock Drive, near Raleigh Street and South Ivey Lane.
#BREAKING- awful news to report. @OrlandoPolice just confirmed that Dexter Rentz, an Ocoee High School senior set to play for @UofLFootball in the fall, was shot and killed last night in Orlando. @AshleyEdlund is on scene.
— Karla Ray (@KRayWFTV) April 26, 2020
This photo was on his Twitter page. pic.twitter.com/DPjHREr22u
The shooting happened blocks away from the Universal Orlando Foundation’s branch of the Boys & Girls Club of Central Florida and the Florida Department of Health’s Orange County offices.
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Investigators initially said they stopped the suspect’s vehicle at the nearby intersection of Lanette Street and Lescot Lane and arrested the person but later said they do not believe that person was connected to the shooting.
“The arrest made turned out to not be the suspect in the murder,” Orlando police Lt. Philip Maio said in an email. “It was determined he was not involved. He was arrested on unrelated charges.”
“(We) don’t believe it will be random from what the evidence shoes. However, I don’t know who was specifically targeted,” said Sgt. Joe Capece.
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Police did not specify the conditions of the three people who survived the shooting.
Come Out To ocoee high school next Week Wednesday to watch me Sign in the Gym ✍🏾❗️ pic.twitter.com/Ayyj0XnIPg
— #Duece 2️⃣ (@DexterRentz) December 11, 2019
“It’s a sad situation," said Ameer Davis, of Stop The Violence, an organization that seeks to curb violence. “This young man was just at a funeral for one of his other friends. And what I see is he had a bright future ahead of him -- (a) good young man in high school doing his thing."
Channel 9 spoke with Rentz last year about committing to play college football during the 2019 Cox Media Group High School Football Media Day.
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Ocoee High School Principal Laura Beusse recorded this message for students and parents Sunday:
“We were made aware of the death of one of our students last night. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this extremely difficult time."
Reporter Ashley Edlund saw detectives focusing on a Nissan Murano with damaged windows on Elese Street on Sunday morning. See her tweets below:
OPD on Elese Steeer and Deerock Drive right now @WFTV pic.twitter.com/7ncQ6aOjMh
— Ashley Edlund (@AshleyEdlund) April 26, 2020
OPD says multiple people were shot here. The suspect took off in a car and was eventually stopped at Lanette Street and Lescott Lane. Suspect was arrested. @WFTV pic.twitter.com/ZzYSJMiyY2
— Ashley Edlund (@AshleyEdlund) April 26, 2020
Officers on Elese Street are looking through this Nissan Murano right now @WFTV pic.twitter.com/8eJfatXcmU
— Ashley Edlund (@AshleyEdlund) April 26, 2020
Clarification: OPD says four people were shot. One died. They say a vehicle was “pursued” but they don’t think it’s related to the homicide. @WFTV pic.twitter.com/cGIbbWEcms
— Ashley Edlund (@AshleyEdlund) April 26, 2020
See a map of the shooting scene below:
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