Clearwater Beach ‘teen takeover’ shooting suspect arrested
Clearwater Beach ‘teen takeover' arrest
The Clearwater Police Department and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office give an update after an arrest was made in connection with a 17-year-old who was shot during a so-called ‘teen takeover’ on Sunday.
CLEARWATER, Fla. - A 16-year-old boy accused of shooting another teenager multiple times during a ‘teen takeover' on Clearwater Beach on Sunday has been arrested.
Noel Marsh III was arrested in Haines City on Monday night and charged with attempted second-degree murder, discharging a firearm in public and unlawful possession of a firearm by a minor.
Clearwater Beach shooting
What we know:
On Sunday, a 17-year-old boy was shot during a ‘teen takeover’ on Clearwater Beach.
It happened around 5:15 p.m. in the 100 block of Coronado Drive.
The victim was taken to Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital suffering from non-life-threatening gunshot wounds to his leg, his arm and chest.
Authorities said the gunfire broke out shortly after a fight during a planned gathering organized through social media.
"This senseless act of violence occurred between two groups known to one another," explained Deputy Police Chief Michael Walek. "A dispute started between the two about a month ago in Winter Haven. On Sunday, there was a fight earlier in the day that occurred before the shooting."
The victim told detectives that the dispute stemmed from social media and party-related rivalries.
Noel Marsh III, 16, is accused of shooting a 17-year-old boy during a 'teen takeover' in Clearwater. Image is courtesy of the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
Walek said Marsh was identified as the shooter early on but was not arrested until Monday night at his home in Polk County.
Walek said Marsh refused to talk to detectives.
Walek added that the suspect is believed to have fired seven times.
"We are fortunate that the victim or bystanders were not killed in gunfire," Waleck stated. "This crime occurred when a influx of teens, what some people on social media refer to as ‘teen takeovers’. The organizer of this Link Up, as it was referred, encouraged people to bring umbrellas, water, not alcohol, and not guns. The flyer also mentioned no unsupervised minors."
According to Walek, several other people were detained and a 17-year-old from Brandon was arrested and charged with obstructing or resisting an officer without violence, unlawful carry of a concealed firearm and possession of a firearm by a minor under 18. Police say he ran from the scene of the shooting, but wasn’t the shooter.
Thwarting teen takeovers
Dig deeper:
Walek said the police department was aware of the event and had resources allocated and monitored the social media event posts in the days leading up to it.
"We coordinated manpower and resources as a result of the review," Walek explained. "This event escalated quickly. 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. You will not come to our city, take it over, or mess around."
Since December 31, 2025, the CPD’s threat management unit has identified 11 "takeover" events. Nine were canceled and two never materialized.
On Monday, Walek said there were mentions on social media of another ‘takeover’ on the beach and CPD said it increased manpower on the beach and got assistance from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
"Clearwater Beach has been and remains a safe, family place to visit," Walek said. "People come from all over the world to enjoy our beautiful beaches. We will not allow outsiders to come in and ruin our reputation."
Courtesy: Clearwater Police Department
"This was the first weekend of summer break for a lot of these kids and this is the last weekend this nonsense will happen," Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri stated.
In Pasco County, deputies said they were made aware of possible incidents involving "teen takeovers" in the Wesley Chapel area on Monday.
Additional PSO units were stationed in the area as a precautionary measure to maintain public safety. Businesses in the area also hired off-duty deputies to ensure the security of their locations as a precautionary measure.
PSO noted that it did not see any significant incidents arise related to the "teen takeover" event. Deputies said they asked several juveniles to leave, but no arrests were made during the incident.
Many involved came from outside Clearwater
According to Clearwater police, many of the people involved in Sunday's events traveled from outside the city, including from Hillsborough County, Polk County and other areas.
In May, Tampa police arrested 22 people aged 12 to 21 after a teen takeover of Curtis Hixon Park. Police seized two guns and drugs there. There have also been these types of takeovers in Orlando, Atlanta and Detroit, leading to curfews in some spots.
Ongoing investigation details
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet confirmed how Marsh obtained the firearm as a minor. It also remains unclear if any other individuals will face charges for participating in the fight that occurred before the shooting. Because Marsh refused to talk to detectives after his arrest in Haines City, his specific motive regarding the weekend confrontation is still unconfirmed.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Clearwater Deputy Police Chief Michael Walek, who explained the timeline of the shooting and prior social media tracking during a briefing, as well as Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri.