A teen arrested in the fatal shooting of another teen on New Year’s Eve in Fort Lauderdale Beach is no longer facing charges after investigators determined his actions were justified.
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The 17-year-old had been arrested in January in the shooting that happened in the area of 17 South Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard at around 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 31.
The victim, 17-year-old Joshua Gipson Jr., died from his injuries.
Surveillance video of the encounter between the teens led the Broward State Attorney’s Office not to charge the shooter, finding that the it was self-defense and his use of deadly force was justifiable, a close-out memo said.
The memo said Gipson was the aggressor, was armed, made threats, and attacked two of the shooter’s friends and within a minute, advanced on the other teen while reaching into his waistband, despite warnings to stop.
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An investigation found Gipson had a gun on him and after the shooter shot him twice, Gipson’s friends fired back, creating chaos among the hundreds of people in the area.
The investigation also found the teens knew each other through TikTok and had previously exchanged words on the platform based on the neighborhoods where they lived.
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Gipson’s family told NBC6 on Thursday that they are still mourning his death.