First Coast News has learned that a 17-year-old charged with four counts of attempted murder is being released from custody, three weeks after his high-profile arrest.
Caleb Sheffield was arrested for reportedly shooting into an occupied vehicle and wounding two of the four people inside. He was direct filed as an adult and held on five felony counts with a $1.1 million bond.
Wednesday, his bond was reduced to zero by Circuit Judge Mark Borello.
First Coast News has learned the decision to release Sheffield comes as new alibi evidence surfaced in the case.
The teen's release is a dramatic turnaround from his high-profile arrest, which was tweeted out by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. JSO cited the arrest as a success of the city’s ShotSpotter technology, which notifies police when gunfire occurs.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Sheffield was identified by two eyewitnesses who said they knew him as "Caleb" from social media. Police said the shooting occurred on Friday, May 31 around 11 p.m.
However, a source close to the case said the teen was in Orlando when the shooting occurred. The source said he was attending a basketball tournament with his travel team, and that there is a video of him shooting baskets close to midnight.
It’s not clear if the alibi video will prompt the state to drop charges altogether. The State Attorney’s Office told First Coast News, “The case remains an active investigation and we have no public update at this time.”
“I am Counsel for Caleb Sheffield. Myself along with Kathleen Conran of Conran Investigations were retained last week to facilitate this young mans freedom. With the evidence that has surfaced in this case leading to my clients’ release today, we are in hopes the State will efficiently dispose of this matter. What has happened to my client is a parents worst nightmare, not to mention Caleb’s. We ask the news to respect the family’s privacy as they try to recover from the past 3 weeks. We offer no further comment at this time but look forward to comment in the future. Thank you and have a good night."
First Coast News did not use the teen’s mugshot when his arrest was announced, because he is a juvenile.
Check back for new information on this developing story.