Elias Morrero, 18, was shot and died on June 19, 2025, after being found with a gunshot wound to the neck in Riviera Beach, Florida. Witnesses and police said he had been sitting in a red Kia Optima near 28th Avenue and Avenue S, exited the car clutching his neck, and collapsed; a passerby called 911 and he was taken to St. Mary’s Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

Detectives treated the case as a homicide and on June 20 located and detained a juvenile suspect who was booked on second-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a minor, and possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony before being turned over to the Juvenile Assessment Center. Investigators asked the public for tips as the inquiry continued.

In the weeks after the shooting, surveillance footage and witness accounts changed the charging posture. Authorities say the encounter began as a marijuana transaction arranged via Instagram; detectives believe Morrero thought he was meeting the girlfriend of the suspect when the suspect entered the vehicle.

Does anyone who was in the Riviera Beach area that night have information or saw the red Kia Optima near 28th Avenue and Avenue S?