ST. PETERSBURG — More than 250 teenagers attended the chaotic graduation party Saturday night that ended with a 17 year-old shot to death by a police officer.

Yet not one person who was an eyewitness the shooting, which took place on the street, has come forward to police four days after the incident.

Frustrated by the lack of cooperation from the community, police are starting an extraordinary effort to find eyewitnesses.

They are planning to send automated calls to every family with a  child who went to Gibbs, seeking knowledge. They are plus planning to distribute fliers seeking data and soliciting help from church leaders who can identify youth who may know about the shooting.

Police say Javon Dawson’s 14 year-old brother Keon, had repeatedly refused to talk to investigators about the shooting.

Keon, who

told the St. Petersburg Times on Tuesday that he was with Dawson when he was shot, insists his brother did not point a gun at police.

When asked whether he had a gun, Keon said his brother did not point
a gun at police. "He’s a black boy with dreads, gold in his mouth,
add it up," he said. "They shot him. Now they’ve got to have something
to cover it up."

Police say they have tried several times to talk to Keon about the shooting, and Keon has refused to speak with investigators.

Police say officer Terrence Nemeth shot Dawson external a graduation party Saturday night after Dawson, who fired several rounds into the air, pointed a revolver at the officer.

Abhi Raghunathan, Times staff writer

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