On June 30, 2023, Rubli Perez-Lucas, a 19-year-old from Guatemala, died en route to Putnam Hospital in Palatka, Florida, after being shot in an incident on Kane Road in East Palatka.
The incident occurred during a fight between two groups of people. According to witnesses, multiple individuals in a vehicle pulled onto Kane Road to engage in a fight with an undisclosed person. Perez-Lucas and several others intervened, leading to a brawl between the groups. As the fight continued, a second vehicle arrived, and the driver pulled out a gun and began shooting at the groups involved.
When deputies responded to the call, they found that Perez-Lucas had already been taken to the hospital in a vehicle, along with another victim. A third gunshot victim remained at the scene and was transported to the hospital by rescue personnel.
The investigation was challenging due to a lack of cooperation from those associated with the suspect. However, detectives were able to locate a crashed white Dodge Journey, which was one of the vehicles described by witnesses as being at the scene. Forensic evidence recovered from this vehicle played a crucial role in identifying the suspect.
On February 20, 2024, laboratory results from the forensic evidence led detectives to identify Ramon Gomez-Hernandez, who was 16 years old at the time of the shooting, as the suspected shooter. Gomez-Hernandez was subsequently arrested and charged with the murder of Rubli Perez-Lucas, the attempted murder of two others, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
The motive for the shooting has not been released, and the investigation is ongoing. Despite the difficulties in the investigation, the plethora of forensic evidence linked Gomez-Hernandez to the crimes, leading to his arrest and charges.
