A jury in Volusia County convicted 20-year-old McKenzy Nazien of Port Orange on Friday of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder after a weeklong trial. The charges stemmed from the 2022 shooting death of 22-year-old Ta’ronn Brown, which occurred in the parking lot of Port Orange’s Sunrise Pointe Apartments on September 1st, 2022.
Nazien, then 19 years old, was accused of shooting Brown multiple times in the back, sparking a shootout where several others also fired shots. Brown was pronounced dead at the scene.
Following the shooting, authorities continued their investigation, which led to a traffic stop in November 2022 in Hendry County, South Florida. Nazien was found in the vehicle with two others, but the group fled before being located and arrested.
In addition to the murder charges, Nazien was accused of lying to investigators about the events surrounding the shooting. He was initially arrested in May 2023 for armed robbery, with further charges added after his arrest for the murder.
State Attorney R.J. Larizza stated, “The defendant shot our victim multiple times, and at least forty rounds were expended during this shooting episode. It is nothing short of miraculous that more folks weren’t shot or killed.”
This case is part of a broader conversation about youth violent crime. While crimes like burglary and larceny committed by youth offenders have decreased in recent years, the rate of youth-perpetrated homicides has risen by 65% between 2016 and 2022.
Nazien’s conviction serves as a chilling example of the disturbing trend in youth violence, highlighting the serious implications of escalating criminal behavior among young offenders.