Coral Springs police charge 18-year-old with murder after alleged robbery target fatally shoots his accomplice
Coral Springs, Florida – An 18-year-old man is facing a second-degree felony murder charge in connection with the May shooting death of Khameran Jackson in Coral Springs, even though investigators say the fatal shots were fired by the man Jackson and the suspect allegedly tried to rob.
Coral Springs police announced additional details in the case after arresting Antonio Smith on Sept. 8. Smith was 17 years old when the shooting happened on May 14 at an apartment complex in the 2500 block of Riverside Drive. Jackson, who was 18 and from Dania Beach, was killed during the confrontation.
Police say Smith and Jackson were involved in an attempted robbery of T’vano Angelo Ashford Rolle, who lived at the complex. Under Florida’s felony murder law, a person can face responsibility for a death that occurs during the commission of certain felonies even when that person did not fire the fatal shot. The arrest affidavit states that Smith is being charged under that theory.
Smith also faces charges of attempted murder, armed robbery, tampering with evidence and illegal possession of a firearm.
The events began the night before the shooting. According to police, Jackson and Smith spent the evening of May 13 with Rolle at Cavern Records, a recording studio. The three later went to Rolle’s apartment complex at 2501 Riverside Drive.
Rolle told detectives that he had known Jackson for about two years. While the group was near the pool, Rolle allowed Jackson to wear his gold Cuban link chain, which he said was worth about $10,000, for photographs.
Investigators say Smith knew Jackson intended to take the chain and Rolle’s gun.
The situation changed when Jackson and Smith allegedly tried to leave with the chain. Rolle told police that when he asked for it back, both men pulled guns and pointed them at him.
Rolle then fired his own weapon, saying he was defending himself. Jackson was struck several times.
After being shot, Jackson went over a wall near the pool and collapsed in the parking lot on the other side. The gold chain remained around his neck when officers arrived. Police said he was pronounced dead at 3:22 a.m.
The first 911 calls came in at 2:52 a.m. One dispatcher asked a caller how many shots he had heard.
“Ah, multiple. At least six or seven,” he said.
Another caller told dispatchers that the gunfire was so loud he could feel the blasts through his floor. He also reported seeing “someone in the pool area running out and back into this building,” describing the person as a man wearing a red hoodie and carrying a backpack.
A third caller reported the sound of the shooting about 30 minutes later.
“It sounded like firecrackers have gone off, and I know a boy ran from the area and then ran inside the building,” the caller said.
Investigators began piecing together what happened using surveillance footage and information from people living in the complex. Police eventually identified the man in the red hoodie as Rolle, who lived on the fourth floor.
About 3:30 a.m., surveillance cameras captured Rolle leaving his apartment and looking down at police vehicles gathered below. He then went back inside, according to investigators.
Rolle later told detectives that he had hidden the gun he used in a backpack inside a closet. Police obtained a search warrant and recovered the weapon. A crime laboratory later determined that the gun was connected to the bullet that killed Jackson.
The investigation also uncovered a series of movements involving a ride-share account.
Police said a driver had been waiting in the parking lot for a ride ordered at 2:23 a.m. using an account associated with Jackson. One man entered the vehicle but continued calling another person, who never arrived.
Then, at about 3:30 a.m., only eight minutes after Jackson was pronounced dead, another ride was ordered using the same account. The second driver told investigators that a man approached from behind his vehicle and got inside while police cars were still filling the area.
Detectives later went to the home of Smith’s aunt on May 19. Inside Smith’s bedroom, investigators found a Glock pistol, but police said it did not match the shell casings recovered from the shooting.
According to the arrest affidavit, investigators believe Smith either hid or discarded the firearm he had that night, as well as a cellphone. Neither item has been recovered.
A Broward County judge signed an order on Aug. 6 authorizing Smith’s arrest. Police took him into custody on Sept. 8, several months after the shooting.
Rolle was arrested on the day of the shooting and was initially accused of tampering with evidence after police said he concealed the gun he had used during the confrontation. He is now 23.
However, prosecutors later decided not to pursue that charge. Court records show the case against Rolle was not pursued on June 12.
The case involving Smith is now moving forward with multiple charges stemming from the deadly encounter. His second-degree felony murder charge is based on the allegation that Jackson died during an attempted robbery, despite police saying Rolle fired the shots that killed him.
The case illustrates the different legal questions that can arise when a death occurs during an alleged robbery. Investigators are continuing to rely on the arrest affidavit, surveillance footage, witness accounts and physical evidence as the prosecution moves forward.
The article is based on the supplied case details, with the quoted statements kept exactly as provided. The earlier May reporting also confirms Jackson’s identity and the initial investigation into Rolle and the shooting.
