Maurqice Thomas, 18, took the ride of shame to the Brevard County Jail Tuesday after police said he accidentally shot a woman dancing with him at a Cocoa house party last month.
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On November 27th at approximately 10:25 p.m., Cocoa Police officers responded to a call of shots fired at 1044 Azalea Lane. Upon arrival, police said they found a woman who had been shot in the back and was transported to the hospital.
Multiple witnesses told police that the victim had been “twerking” on Maurqice Thomas when a firearm in his possession discharged and fired a round, striking her in the back,
A cell phone video at the party shows the suspect at the scene, a juvenile recklessly handling a firearm, and underage teens with alcohol given to them by the homeowner.
Police said they spoke with the victim after she was released from the hospital after surgery earlier this month. She told them Thomas and another person had been playing around with the firearm when she told them to stop, according to the report. A short time later, while “twerking” with Thomas, she felt the gun and attempted to move out of the way before the round struck her, officers said.
TWERKER SHOT: A Florida 18-year-old accidentally shot a woman twerking with him at a possible house party, police say. Two days after the shooting, they say he slid into her Instagram DMs and tried to get her number. Here's what police say he told her: https://t.co/4unRMD20T4
— WPLG Local 10 News (@WPLGLocal10) December 22, 2022
Witnesses say the suspect was dancing with the victim when the firearm he had went off, striking her in the back, according to police. https://t.co/pwlNBw1ILP
— News 6 WKMG (@news6wkmg) December 22, 2022
Cell phone footage of that night shows a juvenile handling a firearm in a reckless manner around children as young as 4 years old, underage teens with alcohol and the suspect, who was wearing a black hoodie with a Glock logo. https://t.co/T4WKg9LkaN
— Gigi (@lady_ofzion) December 22, 2022
Thomas is persistent about hooking up with the victim, however. Two days after the shooting, he sent the victim a message on Instagram saying:
“I am truly sorry!! That sh** was never intended to happen especially to you if there’s any way I can get a second chance and talk to you on the phone can you please lmk (let me know) and send your number.”
Investigations of this type are complex as multiple laws were broken, and no one wants to incriminate themselves. Still, Cocoa Police persevered and were able to swear out an arrest warrant for Thomas.
Thomas was transported to the Brevard County Jail, where he’s being held on an $89,000 bond charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, culpable negligence, improper use of a firearm, and tampering in misdemeanor proceedings.
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