Cape Coral police have two people in custody following a shooting early Thursday morning near Skyline Boulevard and SW 31st Street. Only Gulf Coast News spoke with the man who rushed to help a teenager bleeding inside a car.
Marlon Palacios said he was leaving his driveway Thursday morning when he heard desperate screams outside his home. Without hesitation, he ran toward the commotion.
Inside the vehicle, Palacios said he saw multiple young individuals wearing ski masks and a teenager slumped over in a car.
"When I lean him forward, I see that there's an entry wound in his back. I look at the seat. It's coming from the back seat," Palacios said.
Palacios said the driver continued screaming, "My brother shot himself."
While Palacios and his wife called 911 and tried to keep the teen conscious, more chaos erupted.
"My wife was helping me with keeping the other kid away from him because he kept on trying to get back in the car," Palacios said. "I kept him away from the car because I didn't know if he still had a weapon on him. If the weapon was in the car and he was trying to recover the weapon."
Then, Palacios said the person grabbed a gun and took off.
"He hit it in the shorts, and automatically, the minute he hit in shorts, he kept on pulling the shirt down, saying he couldn't find a gun and then just ran off," he said.
First responders quickly transported the injured teen to the hospital. Police have since arrested two minors in connection to the shooting.
For Palacios, this crime scene isn’t just another statistic — it’s deeply personal. A father of four, he couldn't help but imagine his own children in that situation.
"Scares me that the kids were so young. I have four children myself. My oldest is 11, so it hit home," Palacios said.
Authorities have yet to provide an update on the victim’s condition. The criminal investigation remains active, with police working to secure additional search warrants.
Stay with Gulf Coast News for the latest developments.