Reward Raised in Bradenton Fatal Shooting

A murder case in Bradenton has turned into a long public manhunt — and now investigators are trying a bigger incentive. Manatee County deputies say the reward for information leading to the arrest of Maurice McCary has climbed to $19,500. McCary is wanted in a March 8 shooting that left one man dead and another injured, and deputies still have not found him nearly two months later. That’s the news here — the case is not new, but the reward jump is. ### Who are police looking for? Deputies say they want Maurice McCary, 35, of Bradenton. He is wanted on a second-degree murder charge in the death of 27-year-old Jamari Murray-Barnes, and more charges are expected tied to the wounding of 22-year-old De’Ryan Lopez. Investigators say McCary also goes by the street name “D’Low.” (patch.com) ### What happened in the shooting? The case centers on a March 8 double shooting at 14th Street West and 53rd Avenue West in Bradenton. Deputies say Murray-Barnes and Lopez were stopped at a traffic light when McCary pulled up alongside their vehicle and fired multiple shots into it. Murray-Barnes died at the scene. Lopez survived after being taken to a hospital. (patch.com) ### Why do detectives think this was targeted? Investigators say the shooting appears tied to an earlier fight at a local bar on March 6. That detail matters because it suggests deputies are not treating this as a random roadside attack. Basically, their theory is that the confrontation started two days earlier and then escalated into a deadly encounter at a stoplight. (patch.com) ### What changed this week? The reward got bigger. Early in the case, authorities had publicized reward money through Crime Stoppers, the Gold Star Club of Manatee County, and an enhanced Crime Stoppers program tied to the Florida attorney general’s office. This week, the total rose to $19(patch.com)m. (patch.com) ### How is the $19,500 put together? The total is a stack of separate pots of money. WFLA says it includes up to $5,000 from the Florida Sheriff’s Association program, up to $5,000 from the Gold Star Club of Manatee County, up to $3,000 through Manatee County Crime Stoppers, and up to $6,5(patch.com)he catch is that reward eligibility runs through Crime Stoppers rules, not just any tip anywhere. (wfla.com) ### Why does Crime Stoppers matter so much? Because anonymity and reward eligibility both run through that channel. Deputies say people who want to stay anonymous and still qualify for reward money need to submit tips through Manatee County Crime Stoppers, eith(wfla.com). (patch.com) ### How long has McCary been missing? Authorities got an arrest warrant on March 13, but WFLA says deputies still had not located McCary as of May 5. So this is no longer the first urgent sweep after a shooting. It’s a case that has moved into the harder phase — when investigators are hoping someone around the suspect decides the money, or the pressure, is enough to talk. (wfla.com) ### What’s the bottom line? The case itself has not changed. The suspect is still wanted, the murder charge is still active, and the second victim’s case could still bring more charges. What changed is the leverage — deputies and partner groups have pushed the reward to $19,500 to try to shake loose the tip that finally leads them to Maurice McCary. (wfla.com)