What began as unresolved conflicts between young adults in Lake Wales ultimately ended in violence, leaving one young man dead and altering the lives of many others. In the days following the December 2 shooting, little was known beyond the identities of those involved. Court records now provide a clearer account of the events that unfolded that afternoon and the circumstances that investigators say led to the fatal encounter.
According to arrest affidavits filed in Polk County court, Lake Wales Police Department officers and detectives responded at approximately 1:13 p.m. on December 2 to a reported shooting near South Ninth Street and Columbia Avenue. Upon arrival, officers located 20-year-old Jayvyn McFadden suffering from gunshot wounds on the north side of a residence at 633 South Ninth Street. Court records state McFadden was later pronounced deceased at 2:05 p.m. at Lake Wales AdventHealth.
The affidavits describe an ongoing dispute between groups of individuals who were familiar with one another. According to a witness statement included in court records, tensions between the groups had existed prior to December 2, and the witness told investigators there had been “multiple shootings between the two groups over the past few years.” That statement is attributed to a witness and documented in the affidavit.
Court records also reference statements involving a man known by the nickname “Meecho.” According to the affidavits, a witness told investigators that McFadden had been referred to by others as a “snitch,” a label the witness said stemmed from a prior aggravated assault incident in which McFadden was the victim. The affidavits do not state that McFadden cooperated with law enforcement, only that the label was used by others and contributed to hostility surrounding the ongoing dispute.
Statements included in the affidavits indicate McFadden had been with others shortly before the shooting. One account states McFadden handed his child to another person and then walked west on Columbia Avenue. The same account notes that gunshots were heard shortly afterward, followed by the sighting of a blue Chevrolet Cruze traveling north in the area.
Court documents include statements from multiple witnesses who reported seeing a blue Chevrolet Cruze in the neighborhood around the time of the shooting. One witness described the vehicle driving through the area multiple times with its windows down and told investigators he believed the driver was looking for McFadden.
The affidavits also reference an encounter several days earlier involving the same blue Chevrolet Cruze. According to court records, individuals connected to the ongoing dispute stopped near McFadden and others during that incident and displayed a firearm, prompting those present to hide behind trees.
Investigators later determined that 19-year-old Miles Edward Brown was driving the Chevrolet Cruze on December 2. According to court records, Brown arrived at the Lake Wales Police Department while officers were still attempting to locate the suspect vehicle and admitted to shooting McFadden. Brown was advised of his Miranda rights and agreed to speak with investigators.
In his initial statement, Brown told detectives he was in the area of South Ninth Street and Columbia Avenue attempting to locate the residence of a friend’s girlfriend. Court records state Brown said he did not know her name or exact address and claimed he did not want to contact his friend for directions because he did not want to appear “stupid.” Brown also stated he typically picks up that friend from school on Tuesdays and Thursdays and is usually given instructions on where to meet.
Brown told investigators he was driving north on South Ninth Street and pulled over near the intersection of South Ninth Street and Columbia Avenue to change a song on his phone and send a message on Instagram. According to the affidavits, Brown said his vehicle windows were down when McFadden approached from the passenger side and then moved toward the driver’s side holding a hammer.
Court records state Brown told investigators he attempted to reverse but accidentally shifted the vehicle into neutral. Brown then stated he retrieved his black FN 9mm handgun, extended his left arm out of the driver’s side window, and fired approximately “three rounds” at McFadden, who was standing near the driver-side mirror.
After the shooting, Brown fled the area, driving north on South Ninth Street before turning west onto Cohasset Avenue. Brown told investigators he was unsure of his exact route but stated he drove under Highway 60 East via 4th Street.
According to the affidavits, Brown stopped at a traffic light at Polk Avenue East and Scenic Highway South, where he noticed his aunt stopped behind him. Brown told investigators he exited his vehicle and threw the firearm into his aunt’s vehicle in an attempt to distance himself from the weapon. Court records state Brown then observed police vehicles driving past him.
Investigators wrote that this behavior indicated Brown “did not have the intentions to turn himself in or speak with police regarding the incident,” but instead chose to discard evidence following the shooting.
Court records document multiple explanations given by Brown regarding why he was in the area that day. According to the affidavit, detectives later contacted the individual Brown claimed he was supposed to pick up. That individual told investigators Brown was not supposed to pick him up and that no plans had been made for Brown to come to the area. The affidavit states that after investigators confronted Brown with this information, he changed his explanation again, claiming he had gone to the area to fight another individual and had been listening to music to “amp himself up.” Detectives wrote that Brown’s statements continued to change as the investigation progressed.
Investigators wrote that Brown was “consistently untruthful” during the investigation. The affidavits state Brown repeatedly circled the block before stopping nearby, and a witness described his actions as appearing to look for McFadden.
Based on the information outlined in the arrest affidavits, Brown is charged with Second Degree Murder and Tampering with Evidence. The case remains pending in Polk County court.
As the case moves through the court system, the arrest affidavits offer a clearer picture of how unresolved disputes between young adults escalated into violence on December 2. One young man is now facing the possibility of spending much of his life in prison, while another will never return home to his family. What remains is the lasting impact of decisions made in moments that permanently changed multiple lives.
