A mass shooting in Palatka on the night of December 25, 2024, left two people dead and a third critically wounded. Around 9:40 p.m., officers dispersing a large crowd in a parking lot on North 19th Street heard multiple gunshots near the Palatka Daily News building on St. Johns Avenue. Three people were found with gunshot wounds. Seventeen-year-old Dorrion McKinnon was taken to a nearby trauma center and later died of his injuries. Twenty-three-year-old Tyree Gilyard of Crescent City was pronounced dead at the scene; 21-year-old Crescent City resident Dazail Dennis remains hospitalized in critical condition.

Investigators recovered an extensive crime scene with about 75 evidence markers and numerous shell casings; the newspaper building suffered bullet damage though no employees were inside. Preliminary leads suggest the shooting may be linked to a party that began in St. Johns County and moved to Palatka after the original gathering was shut down. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the State Attorney’s Office are assisting the Palatka Police Department. No suspects or arrests have been announced.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Lt. Colten Lee or Sgt. David Lazo at (386) 329-0115 or Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida at (888) 277-8477.

Did anyone attend the events that moved from St. Johns County to Palatka or see what happened that night?