By Ryan Yousefi
A Coconut Creek Chick-fil-A turned into a nightmarish scene as gunfire erupted, leaving one man wounded.

Deshawn Carter, 27, of Pompano Beach, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and premeditated murder in connection with a shooting incident near a Coconut Creek Chick-fil-A restaurant that resulted in one man being shot in the face. 

According to multiple police reports, officers from two surrounding cities responded to a 911 call reporting a shooting on May 20 at approximately 1:40 a.m.

The report shows that initially, the Coconut Creek Police Department arrived at the scene but later requested assistance from the Coral Springs Police Department after discovering that the incident had taken place within their jurisdiction.

Upon CSPD’s arrival, the report shows they found a male victim with a gunshot wound to the face. The victim was subsequently transported to Broward Health North for treatment. Three other individuals at the scene were also identified in the report as victims of the incident.

Witness statements revealed that the shooting resulted from an altercation that began inside the Seminole Casino in Coconut Creek between the victims and Carter earlier that evening. 

Witnesses told CSPD that the dispute continued outside the casino, leading to a verbal altercation between Carter and the victims. As tensions escalated, the victims quickly entered their vehicle and attempted to flee. 

The victims told CSPD as they got inside their vehicle, they saw Carter retrieve something from a nearby car, which they believed to be a firearm. Afraid of being shot, they attempted to speed away; however, they were pursued by Carter, while gunshots were fired during the chase. 

According to the report, multiple bullets struck their vehicle, and it was later discovered one of the gunshots hit the driver in the face.

As a result of the chase and gunshots, the victims told officers their vehicle swerved off the roadway and into a grass area in front of Chick-fil-A. The occupants of the victim’s vehicle then exited the car and hid in bushes until law enforcement arrived. 

The driver was initially unaware he had been shot and only learned of his injuries after responding officers pointed his injury out. According to the report, an ER doctor reported to police the bullet was not retrieved from his injury and that the victim might have swallowed it.

Following the incident, Carter was apprehended by the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) deputies in Pompano Beach. He was subsequently transported to the Coral Springs Police Department for questioning. 

During the interview, Carter initially denied involvement but later admitted to shooting at the victims’ vehicle, claiming that he saw the driver reaching for something.

Carter was transported to the Broward County Main Jail, where he is being held on a $150,000 bond.

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