The Key West Police Department arrested 23-year-old Nicholas Ferro of Fort Lauderdale on Sunday in the stabbing death of a Key West resident during an altercation near the heart of Key West's tourist section.

Marques Butler, 23, a former track and basketball star at Key West High, died early Saturday morning after being stabbed in the abdomen during an apparent fight between a group of locals from Key West and a group of men from out of town, according to the Key West Police Department.

Butler was taken to the Lower Keys Medical Center, where he underwent surgery and died soon after.

Ferro was charged with second-degree murder and was being held without bond at the Monroe County Detention Center. A weapon was recovered that police believe was used in the incident that occurred around 4 a.m. Saturday in the vicinity of Caroline and Simonton streets.

Key West was in the midst of Fantasy Fest, its annual 10-day party that draws crowds of 50,000 or more. This was the first homicide to occur during the festival's 30-year history.

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