Shocking Lake Worth Beach Bar Shooting: 2 Arrests Made in Deadly Incident – What Happened?

Following a shooting earlier this week in downtown Lake Worth Beach that left two individuals dead and two others injured, two arrests have been made. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office listed the alleged shooter, Morey Pinard III, 23, as having been charged with two counts of second-degree murder with a firearm and two counts of attempted second-degree murder with a firearm on their Facebook page. 19-year-old Michael Vititoe, Pinard’s suspected accomplice, has been charged with simple violence and accessory after the fact in a homicide.

The four victims of the shooting were employed at the Old Key Lime House, a restaurant on the coast in Lantana. Cordero and a few Old Key Lime House staff members were present at Pinard and Vititoe’s court appearance, which took place on Thursday morning. The Rock Irish Pub on Lake Avenue, close to South K Street, was the scene of the shooting on Tuesday morning at around one in the morning. A witness told CBS station WPEC that she went to a holiday party at Lilo’s Streetfood and Bar with her Old Key Lime House coworkers. According to her, a few members of the party then went across the street to play pool at The Rock Irish Pub. She claimed to have briefly left and then returned to the chaos. “When I came back I saw police pull up, (I) immediately ran in and saw two of our coworkers deceased on the floor,” she recalled.

The two guys that passed away were recognized by the sheriff’s office as Steven Stratis, 24, and Christopher Allen, 33. One of the two injured individuals was transported to the hospital in serious condition, while the other man’s condition was stable. The Old Key Lime House’s owner, Ryan Cordero, later recognized them as Reginald Gordon, 50, and Daquan Sigler, 30. Another witness told the sheriff’s office that he was snapping pictures at the holiday party when he ran across Pinard and Vititoe, who bumped into him and knocked his camera down. “Yo, you got a problem?” was their response when he inquired about their well-being. Following a dispute, Pinard and Vititoe asked the witness to step aside.

According to WPEC, Vititoe hit the witness in the face as they were making their way to the front of the pub after he had gone to inform his uncle about the circumstances. Pinard then produced a firearm and started shooting. Only Pinard was seen firing, although another witness claimed to have heard about nine shots. Investigators looked at surveillance footage that captured the events leading up to the shooting. It showed Pinard and Vititoe entering the bar and interacting with other customers before Vititoe and another man became tense and the two suspects left the area when gunfire broke out, according to WPEC.

As they left the bar, Pinard also seemed to be carrying what appeared to be a handgun, according to security footage. One witness, identified as Vititoe’s girlfriend, identified both suspects, leading to their arrest. Pinard and Vititoe are both being held at the Palm Beach County Jail. “It’s reprehensible, despicable, an abomination,” said Cordero told WPEC shortly after the men appeared in court.