A jury trial is scheduled to begin October 12 for Franklin Raybon Jr., 25, who is charged in the May 19, 2024, fatal shooting of Octavious Cummings Jr. at North Jetty Park in Nokomis. Raybon faces first-degree murder, second-degree murder, child abuse, and firearm charges. He has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bond, and he was arrested two days after the shooting.
According to investigators, the confrontation began when Raybon told people not to touch his infant child. That argument escalated into two fights before, authorities say, Raybon fired multiple rounds from a vehicle and fled the area. The case has weighed on the Nokomis and Venice area for more than two years, and the park itself remains a familiar gathering spot for local families.
The next major development is a defense motion filed Friday under Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, seeking immunity from prosecution. The judge expects to rule on that motion before trial. If immunity is granted, the case would be dismissed without a jury ever deciding it; if not, jury selection moves forward in October. We’ll keep you posted on both the ruling and the trial as they develop.
What do you think about self-defense claims being decided before a trial begins? Sound off in the comments.
