Police say two men exchanged gunfire outside a home after arguing about a house key and entering the residence.
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — An argument over a house key escalated into a shootout that killed two men outside a Port St. Lucie home early Sunday, police said.
Officers responded at about 3:30 a.m. to several 911 calls reporting gunfire in the 1300 block of Southeast Rivergreen Circle. They found Carl Loubeau, 24, and Juliun Stokes, 22, with multiple gunshot wounds in the driveway of a residence, according to the Port St. Lucie Police Department.
Emergency crews took the men to separate local hospitals, where both later died. Police said their early investigation indicates Loubeau and Stokes exchanged gunfire during the confrontation. Authorities have not released details about who fired first, how many shots were fired or whether any weapons were recovered.
Investigators said some of the people involved had been socializing with friends earlier in the night before returning to the Rivergreen Circle home. A verbal dispute began outside over a residential key and access to the house, police said. The disagreement then escalated into gunfire.
Police have not announced any criminal charges in the case. The department said the shooting appears to have been an isolated incident and that the other people involved were detained and cooperating with investigators. Officials have not identified those people or explained their roles in the events leading to the shooting.
The investigation remained active Monday as detectives worked to establish a complete timeline. That work may include reviewing physical evidence, interviewing witnesses and examining information gathered from the multiple emergency calls. Police have not said whether surveillance video captured the confrontation.
The shooting happened in Rivergreen Villas, a residential neighborhood where longtime residents said serious violence is unusual. Wanda O’Neil, who lives near the scene, said she was preparing for bed when she heard one series of loud bangs, followed by voices and another series of shots.
“I just heard the bang, bang, bang and I said, ‘Oh, what was that?’” O’Neil said. She said the incident was frightening because it occurred only a few doors from her home in a community she has known as quiet during her 17 years there.
Police Chief Richard Del Toro was scheduled to hold a news conference Monday at 2:30 p.m. to provide additional information. The department asked anyone with information who has not spoken with detectives to call Port St. Lucie police at 772-871-5000.
Author note: Last updated July 20, 2026.