On March 15, 2026, a planned narcotics transaction at a home in Apollo Beach, Florida, ended in a fatal shooting. At about 1:19 a.m., deputies responding to a report of a shooting found a vehicle in a ditch along 19th Avenue Northeast in Ruskin. The driver, 19-year-old Jonathan Blue, and a female passenger had both been shot. Blue was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead; the passenger was hospitalized in stable condition.

Detectives say the shooting occurred during the drug deal at the Apollo Beach residence and that Blue attempted to drive away after being shot, crashing into the ditch. Investigators identified 16-year-old James Middlebrooks as the primary suspect. Middlebrooks was arrested and initially charged with being a minor in possession of a firearm and tampering with physical evidence; charges were later upgraded to first-degree premeditated murder, attempted first-degree premeditated murder, and two counts of shooting into a vehicle. The State Attorney has said he will be tried as an adult.

Did anyone in the area see activity near White Chicory Drive or 19th Avenue Northeast that night, or know more about the people involved?