Crime
Century Teen Charged in Fatal Showalter Park Shooting Transferred to Adult Court
Keyunta Ewing, a 16-year-old Century resident, has been transferred to adult court in Escambia County on first-degree felony murder charges following an August shooting at Showalter Park that left one man dead and another injured.
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CENTURY, Fla. — A 16-year-old murder suspect accused of killing one man and wounding another at a northern Escambia County community park will face prosecution as an adult, judicial officials confirmed this week.
Keyunta Iveon “Baby K” Ewing, a resident of Mayo Street in Century, has been formally transferred from juvenile custody into the adult criminal justice system. Following the transfer, an Escambia County judge ordered Ewing held without bond at the county jail pending a formal adult arraignment scheduled for September 11.
Ewing faces charges of first-degree felony murder without premeditation in connection with the August 13 fatal shooting of Adarius Da’Shun Odom at Showalter Park. Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille confirmed the decision to direct-file the case into adult court, underscoring the severity of the violent crime.
Gunfire at Showalter Park
The deadly confrontation unfolded on the evening of August 13, when Escambia County Sheriff’s Office (ECSO) deputies were dispatched to Showalter Park, located at 7890 Kelly Field Road in Century, around 6:53 p.m. following emergency calls reporting multiple gunshots.
Upon arrival, deputies located Odom, a man in his 20s known affectionately to friends as “Daily,” lying unresponsive behind a white four-door Kia sedan parked between the park’s ball field and playground. Escambia County Emergency Medical Services responded rapidly to initiate life-saving procedures, but Odom was pronounced dead at the scene after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds to his neck and chest.
A second victim, identified as Da’Quan “Money” Johnson, also in his 20s, suffered a through-and-through gunshot wound to his leg during the gunfire. Johnson was transported across county lines to Jay Hospital in Santa Rosa County for emergency medical treatment.
The gunfire triggered immediate panic in the surrounding area. While no organized sports were occurring directly on the Showalter Park diamond at that moment, youth practices were underway just across a wooded trail and footbridge at neighboring Anthony Pleasant Park. Coaches and organizers with the Century Blackcats Youth Football and Cheerleading program reacted quickly to the sounds of gunshots, evacuating dozens of children and families from the fields to ensure their safety.
Conflicting Accounts and Robbery Allegations
Following an extensive eight-day search by law enforcement, Ewing surrendered to authorities on the night of Friday, August 21, at the Department of Juvenile Justice facility in Pensacola.
During subsequent court proceedings, Ewing raised a claim of self-defense, asserting that he only acted because Odom was on the verge of shooting someone else. According to arrest warrant affidavits, Ewing told investigators he had gone to Showalter Park to watch a prearranged fistfight. Ewing claimed that after the physical altercation concluded, Odom reached into his waistband and declared, “You ain’t going to do that to my boy,” prompting Ewing to flee toward the woodline as shots were fired behind him.
However, investigative findings and eyewitness testimony collected by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office tell a sharply different story. Multiple witnesses identified Ewing as the sole gunman, detailing that Ewing approached Odom, demanded money, and then discharged several rounds into Odom at close range when the attempted robbery unfolded. Law enforcement officials noted in court records that recovered video footage and physical evidence from the scene directly contradict key elements of Ewing’s self-defense claims.
Law Enforcement Demands Accountability
Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons addressed the brazen nature of the violence in a public recreation area, stressing that violent behavior will not be tolerated in local communities.
“Seven or eight people had gathered around for a fist fight, and after that fight someone left from the crowd and they pulled a gun and just fired several times into our victim, ultimately killing him and injuring another,” Sheriff Simmons said. “It’s certainly tragic that an individual would be killed, and it’s certainly concerning the individual that is involved felt the need to take this type of action and not have any concern about the safety of the other individual that was shot in the leg or anyone that might be nearby. We as a community should say that’s unacceptable.”
Why it matters here
The transfer of this case to adult court highlights the ongoing commitment of local prosecutors and law enforcement to hold violent offenders accountable under the rule of law, regardless of their juvenile status, when capital and life felonies are committed. For residents across Century, Cantonment, Molino, and the broader Escambia and Santa Rosa communities, violent incidents in shared public parks strike at the heart of community safety.
Showalter Park and Anthony Pleasant Park serve as key recreational hubs for youth sports and neighborhood gatherings in northern Escambia County. The fact that volunteer coaches with the Century Blackcats had to rush young athletes to safety during youth football and cheer practice underscores the immediate danger that illegal firearm violence poses to innocent bystanders, working families, and local children.
Background and Community Ties
The tragedy has resonated deeply across both Escambia County and neighboring southern Alabama. Both victims, Adarius Odom and Da’Quan Johnson, shared deep roots in the community as former student-athletes and standout members of the 2018 Flomaton High School Hurricanes football team, which won an Alabama state championship.
Ewing remains in custody without bond at the Escambia County Jail as prosecutors prepare for his formal adult arraignment on September 11.
Sources
This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by our editorial team.
Related: Escambia County Overnight Dispatch Log: 28 Calls Tracked Across Pensacola and Surrounding Areas
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