New Details Released In Fatal Cottage Hill Shooting Of 16-Year-Old
April 16, 2024
Arrest and investigative reports obtained Tuesday morning by NorthEscambia.com detail what witnesses say happened late Friday night when a 16-year-old was fatally shot at a party at a Cottage Hill home.
Ethan Alexander O’Brien, 19, was charged with felony negligent manslaughter. He turned himself in Monday afternoon at the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and was booked into the Escambia County Jail without bond.
“The investigation determined that during a large gathering at the residence, O’Brien (pictured) was showing off his firearm at which time it accidentally discharged hitting the 16-year-old. O’Brien fled the scene before deputies arrived,” The ECSO said Saturday morning.
The incident happened about 11:30 p.m. Friday at a home in the 600 block of Wishbone Road. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Emergency dispatchers received one call from someone who told them she heard a gunshot from her neighbor’s house and someone screaming “help me”. Another caller reported that they heard one gunshot and two vehicles leaving, and people were knocking on other residents’ doors.
Another caller reported that there was a male that had a gunshot wound to his stomach and leg. Another 911 call reported that a 16-year-old male had been shot in the chest and was not breathing.
Deputies arrived on the scene and found a male on the ground with a gunshot wound to the chest. Deputies unsuccessfully performed CPR and used an AED in an attempt to revive the victim, who was pronounced deceased by Escambia County EMS.
A 17-year-old witness told deputies that O’Brien pulled his gun from his trunk, and he had it out trying to shoot it, the report states. O’Brien then held the gun up midway and shot it. The witness told deputies that she did not feel that O’Brien was trying to shoot the victim on purpose.
Another witness, a 17-year-old male, said he heard a gunshot and screaming about five minutes after arriving at the home. He said O’Brien pointed the gun. “He believes he was messing around with the gun, and he felt that he didn’t shoot it on purpose,” the report states.
Another 17-year-old witness told deputies that she had invited a few friends over to her house and she was inside when the incident occurred. She heard a gunshot and went outside to find the victim on the ground and asked who was responsible.
“Do you want us to get in trouble, and he said I gots to leave,” she indicated O’Brien said. She continues that before the incident O’Brien showed her the gun that was in his trunk, and she asked to shoot it. She said she did not fire what she described to investigators as a “big gun”.
The victim grabbed his side after being shot and said, “You just shot me bro” before falling to the ground, an additional 17-year-old witness told law enforcement. He said O’Brien had an “AR style” rifle and he was playing with before the shooting.
An additional witness said he was standing by the road in front of the residence talking to a female when he heard someone said “I’ve been shot” multiple times and walking toward the house and saw the victim on the ground.
Other witnesses said the victim stated “I’m shot. You shot me” and O’Brien replied, “I shot you?” before the victim fell to the ground. The witness described the gun as an AR pistol.
An additional witness said O’Brien appeared to be intoxicated and showed her the gun and the handgun magazine had hollow, green tips. About five minutes prior to the fatal shot, the gun was fired outside, and a male came running in the door, playfully sliding on his stomach across the floor.
No shell casings were found at the scene.
The teens at the party were from Tate High School, and O’Brien does “stupid stuff”, one teen told investigators, declining to elaborate on what he meant by “stupid stuff”>
Deputies went to multiple addresses known to be associated with O’Brien but were unable to locate him.
The report states the homeowner was out of town during the incident.
Pictured top: The scene on Wishbone Road in Cottage Hill late Friday night after a teen was shot and killed. Pictured below: Crime scene still surrounded the home Saturday morning. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
DeSantis Touts Education Legislation, Limits On Book Challenges
April 16, 2024
Gov. Ron DeSantis visited Escambia County Monday to announce his support for HB 1285, which he said will further cement Florida as the best state in the nation for education
Speaking at Warrington Preparatory Academy, the governor said the bill will simplify the process to convert failed “turnaround schools” to charter schools so no child is stuck in a poor-performing school, and incentivizing school districts to grow their roster of Purple Star Schools to support military families.
He said the bill will also streamline content objection process for parents and preventing activists from making bad-faith objections. Specifically, residents that are not the parent or guardian with a child in the local school district will be limited to one book challenge per month.
“The frivolous book challenges need to stop,” DeSantis said. “What’s gone on in the this county has not been something is nothing something that the law has tried to do….I know Escambia had a lot of books that should not have been under review that somehow were. You’ve got to use some common sense on this.”
In Escambia County, Northview High School teacher Vicki Baggett has challenged scores of books in Escambia County and has attended school board meetings in Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties to challenge more. Under the new law, she will be limited to one new challenge per month because she does not have children in the school district.
DeSantis did not menton Baggett by name during Monday’s event.
“That’s performative, that’s political, you’re trying to be an activist when you should be trying to be an educator,” he said.
“If you don’t have kids in the school district, you still are a citizen. You still can be interested in education, but you’re going to be limited to what you can be objecting to. You can raise an objection, and these are limited to one a month because what we found is you have activists that are going in there and they’re objecting to everything under the sun, and it’s from all ends of the political spectrum,” the governor said.
Penguin Random House, the world’s largest trade book publisher, PEN America, a “free expression organization”, and several individuals have filed suit alleging Escambia County schools have violated the First Amendment by setting out to remove or restrict access to books discussing race, racism, and LGBTQ identities, against the recommendations of the district review committee charged with evaluating book challenges.
The Escambia County District filed a motion that was denied in Pensacola federal court to dismiss the lawsuit. The judge urged the parties to settle the case in mediation rather than moving forward in court.
Pictured. Florida Gov Ron DeSantis touts education bill at Warrington Preparatory Academy in Escambia County on Monday. Image for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Attorney Charged With Possession Of Hundreds Of Child Porn Files
April 16, 2024
An Escambia County attorney is facing child pornography possession charges.
Alex Wesley Rigsby was arrested Friday on 30 first degree felony charges of possession of 30 or more child pornography images. He was released on a $1.2 million bond. Monday, a judge granted the state’s request to revoke bond.
After the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a tip, and investigation that involved the FBI. After a search warrant was executed for Rigsby’s phone, authorities reported finding 222 child porn image and videos on Rigsby’s cloud storage. A second file held over 160 child porn image and videos, according to an arrest report.
The files depicted the sexual abuse of children and infants, according to the report.
The report stated that Rigsby has was an active practicing attorney with Legal Services of North Florida and a member of the Florida bar since 2015.
Ernest Ward Middle School Names Students Of The Month
April 16, 2024
Ernest Ward Middle School recently named their Students of the Month for March. They are (L-R) Wyatt Jones, Natalie Rogers and Emma Reynolds. They are pictured with Principal Tyvanna Boulanger. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FHP Says Charges Are Pending After Fatal Highway 29 Construction Zone Crash
April 16, 2024
The Florida Highway Patrol says charges are pending in a fatal crash involving a motorcycle last week in Molino.
The crash happened on Highway 29 near the Highway 97 intersection at about 10:50 p.m. on April 11.
A 21-year of Molino man was traveling north on Highway 29 on a yellow Honda motorcycle along with a person now identified as a 20-year-old Pensacola woman.
A 43-year-old Century man was also traveling north on Highway 29 approaching the construction area in a gray pickup truck towing a utility trailer.
FHP said, “the front of the Toyota pickup struck the rear of the Honda motorcycle”.
The man and woman were thrown from the motorcycle and landed on the roadway. The pickup truck came to a stop on the shoulder of the road.
The woman was pronounced deceased on the scene, and the man was airlifted to an area hospital by MedStar Air Care helicopter. The driver of the pickup truck was not injured.
Monday, FHP said charges are pending the conclusion of their investigation. Names were not released.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Beulah Middle FFA Team Named 2024 Florida FFA Aquaculture State Champions
April 16, 2024
The Beulah Middle School FFA team was named the 2024 Florida FFA Aquaculture state champions last weekend at the University of Florida/IFAS Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory in Ruskin, Florida. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Gilman Throws Northview Softball Shut Out Of Baker; Northview Baseball Beats Neal
April 16, 2024
SOFTBALL
Northview 12, Baker 0
The Northview Lady Chiefs shut out Baker 12-0 Monday night in Baker.
In a game that ended at five innings under the mercy rule, Jamison Gilman earned the win for Northview, giving up no hits and no runs while striking out six and walking two.
K Langham went 2-2 with one RBI for the Lady Chiefs while Avery Stuckey was 1-4 with three RBIs. Gilman was 2-3 with an RBI, and Chloe Ragsdale went 2-4.
Next, Northview will host Jay at 6 p.m. Thursday and Crestview on Friday.
BASEBALL
Northview 8, W.S. Neal 1
The Northview Chiefs beat W.S. Neal 9-1 Monday night in East Brewton.
Jackson Bridges earned the win for the Northview Chiefs, giving up one hit and one run in four innings, walking one and striking out two. Jase Portwood threw three innings with no runs in relief. Portwood surrendered one hit, striking out six and walking two.
Brady Smith went 2-4 at the plate for the Chiefs with three RBIs. Grayden Sheffield was 2-4 with one RBI, and Wyatt Scruggs was 3-4 with an RBI. Jayden White, Portwood and Bridges also added hits.
Northview will travel to L.E.A.D. Academy in Pace at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Molino 8U Softball Sweeps Both Brackets At GCGSA Mid-Season Tournament
April 16, 2024
Two Molino 8U softball teams swept both brackets at the GCGSA Mid-Season Tournament championship in Pace.
Coach Weaver and his 8U Molino Marlins went undefeated to win their bracket, while Coach Cutler and his 8U Sassy Sluggers went undefeated to win their bracket this past weekend.
Pictured top: Tournament champions Molino 8U Sassy Sluggers (above) and the 8U Molino Marlins (below). Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Update: Teen Arrested For Fatal Cottage Hill Shooting Of 16-Year-Old
April 15, 2024
Monday afternoon, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 19-year-old wanted in the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old late Friday night in Cottage Hill
The incident happened about 11:30 p.m. at a home in the 600 block of Wishbone Road about.
Deputies arrived to find a 16-year-old suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased on scene.
“The investigation determined that during a large gathering at the residence, Ethan O’Brien (pictured) was showing off his firearm at which time it accidentally discharged hitting the 16-year-old. O’Brien fled the scene before deputies arrived,” The ECSO said Saturday morning.
O’Brien, age 19 of Cantonment, will be charged with manslaughter through negligence.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers on (850) 433-STOP or the ECSO at (850) 436-9620.
Pictured top: The scene on Wishbone Road in Cottage Hill late Friday night after a teen was shot and killed. Pictured below: Crime scene still surrounded the home Saturday morning. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Man Arrested On Cocaine, Fentanyl Charges After Traffic Stop
April 15, 2024
A traffic stop led to the arrest of a Cantonment man on felony cocaine and fentanyl charges.
Kevin Jacob Moore, 35, was booked into the Escambia County Jail on charges of possession of cocaine, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription (fentanyl), and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office stopped a Nissan Altima for a seatbelt violation at I-10 and Pensacola Boulevard.
Moore was one of three passengers in the vehicle. He was sitting on a plastic container that contained a white substance that field tested positive for cocaine, a smoking glass pipe, and a plastic straw, according to an arrest report. A metal smoking pipe was located next to the plastic container.
He told deputies that the substance was fake fentanyl that does not have the same effect as the real drug, but he was unaware of what it was called, the report continues. Deputies said he claimed ownership of the metal smoking pipe, but not the glass pipe.
The driver of the vehicle was issued citations for driving while a valid driver’s license and a seatbelt violation.