Sources: Jacksonville murder suspect, woman accused in baseball bat attack were dating

BACKGROUND: 19-year-old arrested after man killed, 9-year-old shot | Teen accused of beating 2 people with baseball bat during brawl

The man accused of killing a teen in a triple shooting in Jacksonville was dating the suspect in a violent fight involving a baseball bat, several people told Action News Jax.

LOCAL: Jacksonville mom says teacher called group of black students rats

Deontrae Thomas was arrested for one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder Sunday after police said he opened fire on a house full of people in Cedar Hills. An 18-year-old was killed and two others, including a 9-year-old, were injured.

Jontaianna Pitts was arrested May 21 for aggravated battery and criminal mischief after video of two brawls in Moncrief went viral.

Police said Pitts beat two people and a car with a baseball bat.

Pitts is known as Tai Boujie.

Multiple sources, including 16-year-old shooting victim Stanteria Brown, say the aggressors in both attacks were dating. A photo of the two of them at Pitts’ graduation last week was posted to Facebook.

Stanteria Brown said Pitts beat her up last week. She showed Action News Jax a cellphone video of the beating. In the video, Stanteria Brown can be heard yelling for her brother Zion Brown.

“He threw a brick into our sliding door. That’s what woke me up,” Brown said.

She said her older brother Zion Brown was killed and her 9-year-old cousin was hurt in the shooting.

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The 9-year-old girl was shot five times and one of the bullets hit her neck, family told Action News Jax.

“He kept shooting until he couldn’t no more,” Stanteria Brown, who was hit twice, said. “I got shot in my leg. There’s a bullet still in here."

In all, 15 people were shot in Jacksonville during the holiday weekend. Four people were killed.

“Most of the incidents that occurred this weekend involved known victim offenders or were otherwise drug related or involved some type of illegal activity,” Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit Lt. Steve Gallaher said.

Thomas is the fourth arrest JSO has made related to the holiday weekend shootings.

Cox Media Group