CLEARWATER, Fla. – A 16-year-old from Haines City faces multiple felony charges after allegedly shooting another teenager during a heavily advertised social media gathering on Clearwater Beach.
Noel Marsh III was taken into custody Monday night at his home in Polk County. Authorities have charged him with attempted second-degree murder, discharging a firearm in public, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a minor. Marsh is currently being held in the Polk County Jail and has refused to speak with detectives.
The shooting occurred around 5:15 p.m. Sunday in the 100 block of Coronado Drive during what online flyers termed a “Link Up” or “teen takeover.” According to Clearwater Police, an argument broke out between two familiar groups, escalating a month-long dispute that originally began in Winter Haven over social media and party-related rivalries.
During the altercation, Marsh allegedly fired seven shots. A 17-year-old victim was struck in the leg, arm, and chest. He was transported to Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
“This senseless act of violence occurred between two groups known to one another,” Clearwater Deputy Police Chief Michael Walek said during a media briefing. “We are fortunate that the victim or bystanders were not killed in gunfire.”
Walek noted that the event’s promotional materials explicitly told attendees to bring water and umbrellas, while banning alcohol, firearms, and unsupervised minors. However, police reported that a large portion of the crowd traveled from outside Pinellas County, including Hillsborough and Polk counties.
Law enforcement had been monitoring the social media posts days in advance and deployed extra resources to the beach. Following the gunfire, officers detained several individuals. A separate 17-year-old from Brandon was arrested after fleeing the scene; he faces charges of resisting an officer without violence, unlawful carry of a concealed firearm, and possession of a firearm by a minor.
“I want to be crystal-clear about one thing; this kind of reckless and criminal behavior will not be tolerated on Clearwater Beach or anywhere in our city,” Walek said. “You will not come to our city, take it over, or mess around.”
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri echoed the stance on future gatherings, stating, “This was the first weekend of summer break for a lot of these kids, and this is the last weekend this nonsense will happen.”
The Clearwater Police Department’s threat management unit has tracked 11 potential takeover events since late 2025, successfully preventing or dissolving most of them. Following rumors of a second beach gathering on Monday, Clearwater police and Pinellas County sheriff’s deputies heavily increased their presence in the area.
Neighboring agencies, including the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, also staged extra units near Wesley Chapel businesses on Monday as a precaution against similar social media meetups, though no significant incidents or arrests were reported there.
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