A teenage girl describes finding one of the victims of a Florida triple murder on her way to school

A teenage victim of the mind-boggling triple homicide in a small Florida town wore all-black clothing and had a black mask over his face when he was found dead, the DailyMail.com has been told exclusively.

The 17-year-old boy was sprawled on the side of a dirt road where a student says she stumbled across the horror on her way to a school bus early Friday morning.

He and two 16-year-old girls were murdered in the rural community of Ocklawaha and dumped in various locations over three days.

“I was walking with my brother and I found the man… he wasn’t breathing,” the student, who would only give her name as Khatia, told DailyMail.com.

He was lying on his side wearing a black hoodie, black shirt, black pants and black shoes.

“He had the hoodie over his head and he had a black mask over his face. I couldn’t see his face. You could only see his eyes.’

Khatia told DailyMail.com that she could not see any obvious sign of a gunshot wound.

‘It is pathetic. And I was scared,” she added. “My brother called the police and spoke to them.”

Khatia’s brother, who declined to give his name, confirmed to DailyMail.com that he gave a statement to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.

The new information comes after Sheriff Billy Woods reveals that the three teens may have been victims of “hybrid” gang activity.

He also revealed that the only victim named, 16-year-old Layla Silvernail, and the other two all knew each other – and that 15 detectives are furiously working the case.

“The detectives also have information that it may be related to what we classify as hybrid gangs,” he told a news conference in Ocala.

‘A wannabe gang in somewhat simpler English. Wannabe gangs are that.’

Asked to clarify whether the victims were in a gang, he replied, “I haven’t… there’s information we’re getting that there’s a possibility of hybrid gangs and that’s about it.”

“I can’t tell you who’s in it, with what gangs or anything like that.”

Pressed again when he alluded to the trio being in a gang, he said, “That’s not what I’m saying.” I’m not going to answer that question without knowing for sure that person was.

“It’s a possibility because it’s information we’ve been given.

“What we’re investigating is a murder, not necessarily what their association with a gang is. We’re investigating their murders.’

Sheriff Woods said he didn’t know if the killings were part of a gang war, but added, “Anything is possible.”

The chief of law said he could not answer whether the victims had ever been in trouble before they were murdered.

But returning to the theme of the gangs, he said, “I can’t answer that. Because at the moment I don’t have all the information yet.

“Let’s face it, anyone who has associated with a gang at some point in their life has done something. Whether they are arrested or not.

“So when I tell you hybrid gangs it’s not a game because it’s all unicorns and everything else. That’s because they do illegal things.’

Sheriff Woods promised to catch those responsible. In a message to the families of the victims, pointing backwards in the direction of the county jail, he stated, “We are going to get them.

“Their butts will be there. In that prison.’

The sheriff also revealed that there are multiple suspects – though no photos of them are available and no information about suspicious cars at any of the scenes.

He declined to release much other information about the case, such as why the victims were discovered in different locations or whether they were shot where they were found.

When asked if there were multiple shooters, he replied, “I’m not going to tell you.”

But he did reveal, “All of the individuals we’ve been tipped about are people of interest. I can tell you there are more than one.

“We have several suspects.”

Forensic information on whether the teens were shot with the same gun has not yet been revealed, he said.

The sheriff reiterated his message that he does not believe there is a fourth victim.

“No, we’re not looking for anyone else right now.” There is no new information or new evidence to suggest we have a fourth victim.”

The families of the unnamed victims have invoked Marsy’s law, a Florida law designed to protect victims of crime. The next of kin have the right to insist that names do not appear in police reports or public reports.

In an earlier Facebook post, Sheriff Woods insisted he was not on the hunt for a serial killer.

Layla was alive when she was found Thursday night shot in the head and left in a dumpster near Forest Lakes Park in the city northwest of Orlando.

Her family said she was pronounced dead. And on Tuesday, the sheriff’s office announced that she had passed away.

The 17-year-old boy found Friday morning was less than a mile away. The other 16-year-old girl was found on Saturday in Layla’s car, which was partially submerged in a pond about 12 miles away.

Sheriff Woods declined to say where in the car the third victim was discovered.

“That’s the kind of information that could jeopardize the case,” he said. But he added: ‘Yes, they were friends.

“It is yet to be determined,” if they were discovered in the order in which they were killed.

Of the suspects, he said, “I’m not suggesting that the suspects are teenagers.” He also said he “didn’t have all the information at this point” about whether the victims knew the killer or the killers.

Sheriff Woods has removed some keyboard warriors from social media for spreading speculative information.

“You don’t know what happened,” he said. “Or if you do, you won’t come in and talk to us, and you have to.

Because we need to solve this and put the puzzle pieces together so we can put the perpetrators of the crime behind bars.”