Police have made an arrest following a fatal shooting at a student housing complex near Florida Atlantic University.
Donovan Malik Henry, 19, was taken into custody Wednesday and has been charged with first-degree murder, Boca Raton Police confirmed. He is an FAU freshman soccer player.
The shooting happened around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at University Park Apartments at 135 Northwest 20th Street in Boca Raton.
19-year-old Nicholas Max Acosta of Boynton Beach died from his injuries after being shot twice in the torso, according to Boca Police Chief Dan Alexander. He was transported to Delray Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Acosta was a business major at FAU.
Acosta's girlfriend told police she was familiar with at least one of the suspects. She told detectives that she was with Acosta in their apartment when someone knocked on the door. She opened the door and saw two black males, one of whom she recognized. The girlfriend invited both males inside.
Moments later, she said three additional black males forced their way into the apartment and ordered her and Acosta to the ground.
The girlfriend said Acosta asked, "What's going on?" and that's when one of the suspects shot Acosta.
Video from the apartment complex surveillance system shows five black men arriving in two cars, one black and one red. The suspects entered the building a few minutes before the shooting. The five suspects left in both cars at a high rate of speed right after the shooting, according to police.
The victim's girlfriend said Acosta sold marijuana out of the apartment in the past. She also said a large bag of marijuana was missing from the kitchen counter after the shooting.
Police said a check of Acosta's cellphone shows he had a text conversation with one of the suspects prior to the shooting, regarding a narcotics transaction. The conversation included the suspect texting Acosta that he had arrived at the apartment complex. Acosta then texted the suspect the access code for the building.
Boca Raton detectives were able to trace the cellphone back to Donovan Malik Henry of Miramar. On Wednesday afternoon, Henry was arrested without incident in Miami Gardens and charged with first-degree murder and robbery with a firearm.
Local
Detectives continue to search for four additional suspects. If you have any information about this case, call Crime Stoppers at 800-458-TIPS.
On Tuesday, the apartment complex sent a text to its residents after the shooting saying: "University Park: Lockdown at UPark. This is not a test. Please stay inside your apartment with your door locked until further notice."
FAU also sent out a text alert saying: "There was a shooting off-campus, Boca Baton, at the Univ. Park Apt Complex. BRPD is investigating. Suspects location unknown. Monitor local news for updates."
Police said out of an abundance of caution, SWAT team members cleared the building to ensure there were no suspects at the scene.
Residents were allowed back inside several hours later. University Park Apartments provide housing for FAU, Lynn University and Palm Beach State students.
