Two men shot dead in Bradenton double homicide. Detectives are searching for the shooter

Manatee County sheriff’s detectives are searching for a Bradenton teenager after they say he shot and killed two men behind a shopping center on Cortez Road early Sunday morning.

Detectives have obtained an arrest warrant for murder for Joe S. Clerjuste, 17.

Around 12:20 a.m., the Bradenton Police Department responded to a report of a shooting victim at Manatee Memorial Hospital.

The man, 18-year-old Caleb Bowman, later died at the hospital and the Manatee County Homicide Team began to investigate.

That investigation led detectives to the back of a Bradenton shopping center at 2114 Cortez Road. W.

There, detectives discovered the body of 18-year-old Kemundrey Pittmon, who had also died from an apparent gunshot wound.

The sheriff’s office is investigating the double homicide as it appears the incident occurred behind the shopping center, which is in the county.

As a result of the investigation, detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Clerjuste, who turned 17 on Wednesday.

Manatee detectives do not believe this was an isolated incident, according to sheriff’s spokesman Dave Bristow. They plan to release more details once Clerjuste is in custody.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Clerjuste is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 941-747-3011 or Crime Stoppers at 1-866-634-TIPS.

This story was originally published July 22, 2018 at 1:26 PM.