After a week-long trial, a Volusia County jury found 22-year-old McKenzy Nazien guilty of First-Degree Murder (Firearm) and Attempted First-Degree Murder (Firearm) on January 10, 2025.
The charges stem from a deadly gunfight on September 1, 2022, outside a Port Orange apartment complex. Nazien, then 19, was involved in an argument with the victim that escalated into violence. Two armed groups gathered in the parking lot, and Nazien shot the 22-year-old victim multiple times in the back, according to a witness who was standing nearby. The shooting prompted others to open fire, and Nazien chased and fired at the witness as he fled the scene.
The victim was struck four times and died at the scene. Detectives recovered 48 bullet casings and obtained multiple videos of the incident during their investigation.
Nazien was apprehended on November 15, 2022, after deputies with the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop a vehicle he was traveling in. Nazien and two others fled into a nearby neighborhood but were quickly apprehended. He was initially charged with Resisting Without Violence and later extradited to Volusia County to face murder charges.
During an interview with the Port Orange Police Department, Nazien denied involvement in the shooting despite evidence linking him to the crime.
State Attorney R.J. Larizza commented on the case, noting the alarming amount of gunfire: “The defendant shot our victim multiple times, and at least forty rounds were expended during this shooting episode. It is nothing short of miraculous that more individuals weren’t shot or killed.”
The case was investigated by the Port Orange Police Department with support from the Daytona Beach Police Department, Volusia Sheriff’s Office, and Hendry County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant State Attorney Andrew Urbanak prosecuted the case, with the Honorable Kathleen McNeilly presiding. Sentencing for Nazien will be announced at a later date.
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