WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — An 18-year-old West Palm Beach man was arrested in connection with a December 28 shooting at an apartment complex on Quail Lakes Drive that left vehicles and a building riddled with bullet holes, according to a newly filed probable cause affidavit from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
Detectives say Christler Valentino Francois, known by the aliases “V8” and “Valentino,” was identified as one of the shooters involved in an armed confrontation that erupted after a dispute between several juveniles and adults in the neighborhood. The incident unfolded at approximately 4:37 p.m., when deputies responded to reports of gunfire at 1597 Quail Lake Drive. Arriving deputies found 13 spent .40 caliber shell casings and multiple .45 caliber casings and live rounds scattered across the parking lot.
According to witness statements, the conflict began when a juvenile male approached a woman and made inappropriate comments in front of her children. The woman called her boyfriend, who arrived minutes later with his friend. Both men told investigators that as they confronted the teens, one of them—identified as Francois, who was just 17 at the time—retrieved a gun from his waistband and fired a round into the air before additional shots were fired from multiple locations within the parking lot.
The men each fled in opposite directions as shots continued, with both later telling deputies they were confident Francois was one of the shooters. Three other witnesses, interviewed separately, later picked Francois out of a photo lineup.
Investigators linked Francois to the scene through a combination of physical descriptions, social media activity, electronic records, and cellphone data. According to the affidavit, deputies found photos taken earlier that day of Francois wearing clothing identical to the outfit described by witnesses—black hoodie, black sweatpants, and a distinctive Sprayground backpack. Photos recovered from his phone also appeared to show an injury consistent with a gunshot wound, taken the morning after the shooting…