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More than a day later, Memorial Day shootings remain a mystery

 
Law enforcement officials detain a man Monday while responding to a shooting that caused chaos Monday on Clearwater Beach. Inset: The four men charged as of Tuesday morning, clockwise from upper left: Jerry L. Holmes, Terrance Antonio Kirnes, Jared Kashon Woodard and Jeffrey J. Grier.
Law enforcement officials detain a man Monday while responding to a shooting that caused chaos Monday on Clearwater Beach. Inset: The four men charged as of Tuesday morning, clockwise from upper left: Jerry L. Holmes, Terrance Antonio Kirnes, Jared Kashon Woodard and Jeffrey J. Grier.
Published May 28, 2014

CLEARWATER — Police released no new information early Wednesday about a series of Memorial Day shootings that prompted four arrests and left at least one injured.

Police have not ruled out that the shootings were gang related, though detectives on Tuesday said they were exploring whether they were the result of a personal dispute.

Clearwater detectives were working with the Tampa and Tarpon Springs police departments and the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office to establish a motive.

According to police, the first of three incidents began about 7 p.m. Monday when an argument between two groups of people on Second Street, north of the Hyatt Regency on Gulfview Boulevard. Police said Jerry Lee Holmes Jr., 31, fired at least three shots from a .40-caliber semiautomatic at a crowd of 15 people, striking the Hyatt.

The second group ran up the ramp of the Hyatte parking garage and another person fired down on Holmes and the others. When the crowd scattered, Kayvuis Pringle, 20, failed to stop for officers and was arrested, police said.l

About 40 minutes later, a second shooting broke out near Frenchy's South Beach Cafe at 351 S Gulfview Blvd., where Devonte Sanders was shot in the groin area. Then, at 8:30 p.m., deputies arrested Jeffrey James Grier, 20 and Jared Woodard, 19, while investigating an aggravated assault on the Clearwater Memorial Causeway.

An arrest affidavit shows Woodard, a felon, is accused of waving a gun at a nearby car.

Holmes was charged with firing into the building, and Pringle with resisting arrest. Woodard and Grier face several charges, including improper exhibition of a firearm and being a felon in possession of a weapon, respectively. All were released on bail except Grier, who is accused of violating his probation on an unrelated Hillsborough charge.

Six others were arrested Monday night but were eventually released.

As the investigation continues, police say they'll likely place more officers on the beach.