Drive-by shooting at candlelight vigil shakes friends of victim

Orange County deputies are searching for the person who shot two people Thursday night, as a candlelight vigil took place.

"It was awful getting shot at. Someone also got injured and another person ended up getting sent to the hospital. I seen the muzzle go off and I just ran," said Nicki Bae.

She said around five to 10 people were having a candlelight vigil at Buchanan Bay Circle and Downing Street when someone drove by and started shooting at them. Deputies said two people were hit. 

"Why would you come out shooting at somebody, trying to celebrate a deceased friend’s birthday? That doesn’t make any sense."

Bae said her friend, Derrick Russaw, known as Cutupp, died back in 2017 in the same spot. FOX 35 News covered the shooting back then. 

"He died in 2017 because of gun violence. It was a drive-by shooting literally. On this main street, as we were standing, and he died and bled out right here in front of his family."  

The Orange County Sheriff's Office sent us a statement regarding Russaw's death.

"OCSO homicide detectives identified four suspects, 3 were juveniles, one was an adult. The State Attorney's Office declined to file formal charges and the case was closed," the statement read.

Four years later, yet another shooting scene plays out here. Deputies said in this most recent case, one person was treated on scene, the other was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. They are trying to determine who did this. 

Witnesses said around 10 to 15 shots were fired. 

"It’s just crazy, at the end of the day you shouldn’t be shooting at people. If you have issues with somebody, you should talk to them as an adult," Bae said.

She hopes the person responsible is caught. 

"Never been in something like that never. So to experience that it’s like traumatizing." 

If you have any information about the case call Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS (8477).
 

Watch FOX 35 News for the latest updates.