McKenzie Lebron Rountree

McKenzie Lebron Rountree, a 34-year-old Black man who was born and raised in Ocala, Florida, was remembered by his cousin as a good person who would help anybody. Known to friends and family as "Kenny," Mr. Rountree was a lifelong resident of the city where he lost his life.

On the evening of Friday, December 22, 2023, Ocala police officers received a call about shots fired at 8:22 p.m. They responded to the 1900 block of Southwest First Avenue, where they searched the area and discovered Mr. Rountree’s body in a vacant lot. He had been shot to death. The property, which is surrounded by homes, was described as a local gathering spot where people had set up tents.

Detectives with the Ocala Police Department launched a homicide investigation. Based on information they received regarding a suspect's whereabouts, officers located a person of interest less than three weeks after the shooting.

On Tuesday, January 9, 2024, police took 23-year-old Zy'wantre Si'cane Lester into custody without incident in the 400 block of Southwest Martin Luther King Junior Avenue. He was transported to the police department for questioning but declined to speak with investigators. Lester was subsequently arrested and charged with first-degree murder for the death of McKenzie Rountree. He was booked into the Marion County Jail. As of January 2024, the case against him was pending litigation.