Peter Anthony Perez-Corona, a 19-year-old from Jacksonville, FL, tragically lost his life on October 18, 2016. The incident occurred during a drug deal gone wrong in the parking lot of a Walmart in the Regency area of Jacksonville. According to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Perez-Corona was attempting to intervene in an armed robbery when he was fatally shot in the head. The robbery was aimed at his friend, who was the dealer in the transaction.
Witnesses reported that the buyer, identified as D'Andre Lorenzo Cohen, did not have the agreed-upon cash and instead pulled out a handgun. When Perez-Corona tried to thwart the robbery, Cohen fired the gun, resulting in Perez-Corona's critical injury and subsequent death.
Following the incident, two suspects were identified and arrested. D'Andre Lorenzo Cohen, 18, was initially charged with attempted murder, but the charge was upgraded to murder after Perez-Corona's death. Cohen was identified as the shooter by witnesses who used a photo spread provided by the police. The second suspect, Michael Wayne Carter II, 21, turned himself in to the authorities and faced charges of murder and attempted armed robbery. Carter's attorney claimed his client was innocent, arguing that mere presence at the crime scene did not equate to participation in the crime. Despite this defense, both suspects were held without bond and awaited further court proceedings.
The case drew significant attention due to the circumstances surrounding the shooting and the involvement of young individuals in a violent crime. The investigation revealed that neither Cohen nor Carter had a prior history of arrests in Jacksonville. Cohen was from Ocala and had attended Jacksonville University. The police continued to search for the handgun used in the shooting, which had not been located at the time of the arrests. The tragic death of Peter Anthony Perez-Corona highlighted the dangers associated with illegal drug transactions and the devastating impact of gun violence on the community.
