Darquize McKinon : “Fatal Shooting at West Palm Marijuana Sale”

WEST PALM BEACH — Darquize McKinon was arrested this month after a fatal shooting in an apparent drug deal gone wrong in West Palm Beach, police said.

According to West Palm Beach police, McKinon offered to drive two men looking to buy marijuana to a location to purchase the drug. However, McKinon’s gesture turned out to be a ruse, as he later pulled a gun on one of the passengers and fatally shot him in an alleyway near 18th Street and Beautiful Avenue.

McKinon was taken into custody on Tuesday, June 18, at his home near Riviera Beach in connection with the June 15 shooting death of 46-year-old Jeffrey Robert Lowder. He faces charges of first-degree murder and armed robbery.

Rental Car Leads to Arrest

The incident unfolded at around 10:15 a.m. on June 15 when Lowder, McKinon, and another man arrived in a rented Nissan Altima on the 500 block of 18th Street. Witnesses reported hearing gunshots shortly after the men exited the vehicle and walked to an alleyway between 17th and 18th streets.

One of the men with Lowder told investigators that they were in the area looking to purchase marijuana when McKinon offered to take them to a place to buy the drug. As they walked to the back alleyway, McKinon brandished a gun and demanded that Lowder empty his pockets. The witness attempted to signal for Lowder to run, but McKinon shot him before he could escape. The witness then punched McKinon in the face, causing him to fall, and ran from the scene.

Another witness saw McKinon fleeing back to the vehicle after the shooting and provided police with the license plate number of the car. The vehicle’s renter informed investigators that he had loaned the car to a female relative and her boyfriend, identified as McKinon.

Legal Proceedings

McKinon appeared in court on Wednesday, June 19, where Circuit Judge Sara Willis assigned him a public defender and ordered him to be held without bail. The Palm Beach County Public Defender’s Office, representing McKinon, declined to comment on the case.

Julius Whigham II, a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post, can be reached at jwhigham@pbpost.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JuliusWhigham. Subscribe today to support their work.

This article was originally published on Palm Beach Post: Fatal shooting in West Palm alley leads to arrest on murder charge.