‘People know’: Fort Myers police plead for information on shooting death of Montrell O’Neal

After 48 hours filled with violence in Lee County, one leader is speaking up.

Fort Myers City Councilman Johnny Streets wants people to provide tips to authorities.

The area suffered through four shootings, one of them deadly, in the span of two days.

“All of a sudden now gunshots just ringing out no respect, whether on the beach, whether in church at a funeral,” said Streets, a retired Fort Myers police officer.

Streets fears this violence was pent up during the lockdown.

“The young folk that are out there doing the shooting,” Streets said. “We are the people that they are looking for us to give them some advice and guidance, but we aren’t doing it.”

Fort Myers police are searching for the shooter in the death of 21-year-old Montrell O’Neal who was gunned down in a vehicle near the intersection of Central Avenue and Franklin Street on Tuesday.

The police department is hoping someone can recognize a vehicle of interest caught in surveillance images. Police say it’s connected to the death of O’Neal.

Who is responsible for stopping the gunfire?

Fort Myers police say everyone is.

“I will tell you that I haven’t seen the number of citizens tips that I would like. I think there could be more,” said Fort Myers Police Sgt. Glenn Thompson, who is investigating O’Neal’s death.

“People know,” said Thompson, an FMPD homicide supervisor. “Nobody commits these acts of violence and keeps it to themselves.”

Keeping that kind of information away from authorities will only keep this kind of terror on the streets.

“Montrell has a mom, has a family who deserves justice, deserves answers, and we’re doing everything that we can to get them those answers as quick as possible,” Thompson said. “But we need the citizens’ help, we need the community’s help to do that.”

Anyone with information is asked to call SWFL Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-8477 or Fort Myers police Det. Vincent Doyle at 239-321-7742.