Broward teen who killed Deerfield Beach High football player sentenced to 25 years in prison
A South Florida teenager who admitted to killing another teen at a park in Deerfield Beach in 2022 has been sentenced this Monday to decades in prison.
Keantae Vaughn, now 17, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the Dec. 28, 2022, shooting death of 15-year-old Rickey Ferguson Jr.
A judge sentenced Vaughn to 25 years in prison, with credit for three years already served in jail. Vaughn's attorney told the court that, with time served, he is expected to be released around age 35.
The sentencing hearing included emotional and wrenching statements from Ferguson's family, who described a life permanently altered by the loss of their son and relative. Family members spoke about the lasting pain and trauma left behind by the killing, saying their family has been shattered.
Police said the shooting happened at West Side Park park in Deerfield Beach. Ferguson was shot in the head by Vaughn on the park's football field. Vaughn, who was 14 at the time, was later charged as an adult in the case.
Ferguson Jr. was a sophomore at Deerfield Beach High School and a standout football player, known among classmates and coaches for his talent and potential.
The case drew attention because of the young ages of both the victim and the defendant, underscoring the devastating impact of gun violence on South Florida families and communities.
Before hearing his sentence, Vaughn listened as several members of Ferguson's devastated family shared their grief.
"You have caused a big hole and made life a living hell," said Ferguson's aunt, Michelle Beckford.
"My family has been completely broken by this sudden loss. We will never be whole again," added Aunt Tamillia Johnson.
Ferguson's father spoke of the agonizing days spent at his son's hospital bedside after he was declared brain dead.
"Tears were streaming down his face. It's something I live with every day," said Rickey Ferguson Sr.
The family still has no answers as to why it happened. Vaughn's lawyer, Bruce Raticoff, maintains it was an accident. Ferguson had been with friends at a park watching a pickup game. Vaughn and another companion briefly took Ferguson's hat, but then returned it.
Then, suddenly, Vaughn pulled out a weapon and the gun was fired.
"He got hold of a gun he didn't know how to use, and it went off."
The gun was never recovered.