Trashawn Powers, a 23-year-old from Pensacola, Florida, was one of the three victims in a triple homicide that occurred on April 28, 2024. The incident took place in the Myrtle Grove area, where Powers and his companions, Markeese Turner, 26, and Michael Carstarphen, 28, were fatally shot while sitting in a Ford Mustang convertible.
The shooting happened around 1:15 a.m. during an adult birthday party at the corner of 65th Avenue and Jackson Streets.
According to Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons, the attack was a "targeted ambush" rather than a random or drive-by shooting. The shooters parked their vehicle away from the victims, walked through a yard and a shed, and then fired multiple rounds at close range into the convertible.
Sheriff Simmons stated that the shooting was believed to be an act of retaliation for a previous event, although the specific incident that triggered the retaliation is still under investigation. It is noted that one of the victims, Michael Carstarphen, had been released from state prison just eight days prior to the shooting, having served time for fraud, drug, and gun charges. Trashawn Powers was also on supervised probation at the time of the incident.
Two of the victims were pronounced dead at the scene, while the third victim, who was initially transported to a local hospital, later succumbed to his injuries. The Escambia County Sheriff's Office has activated its real-time crime center to compile footage from public security cameras and is urging anyone who attended the party to provide any useful information or videos to aid in the investigation.
The community and investigators are working diligently to gather more evidence, including cell phones and other items seized from the scene. The sheriff's office is appealing to the public for any information that could help identify the suspects and understand the motive behind this tragic event.
