A significant legal conclusion has been reached regarding a tragic violent event that shook the Treasure Coast community in early 2023. A jury has found a man guilty on multiple charges stemming from a shooting at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event in Fort Pierce that resulted in the death of a young mother.
On Friday, Assistant State Attorney Brian Workman confirmed the conviction of Kemmye Parson following the trial. Parson had previously been apprehended in Tampa by U.S. Marshals in 2023 and was held at the Hillsborough County Jail before facing justice in the Treasure Coast area.
Kemmye Parson was convicted of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm, second-degree felony murder, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in the killing of Nikkitia Bryant.
The fatal incident occurred on January 16, 2023, during the 772 MLK Family Fun Day Festival and Car Show held at Ilous Ellis Park. According to case details, 29-year-old Nikkitia Bryant was attending the community celebration when shots were fired. In a heartbreaking turn of events, Bryant was shielding her daughter from the gunfire when she was struck by multiple bullets.
The violence at the public park prompted legal action beyond the criminal case. Following her daughter’s death, Nikkiti White filed a civil lawsuit in St. Lucie County Court against multiple parties regarding the circumstances that transpired at the festival.
