MELBOURNE, Fla. – After a fatal shooting forced a Melbourne school to lock down Tuesday, police announced they captured the suspect involved, according to the police department.
Investigators on Wednesday identified the suspect as 21-year-old Malachi Dante Bell, of Homestead.
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In a news release, police said the gunshots were heard east of Stone Magnet Middle School’s campus, causing the school to immediately go into shelter-in-place status as additional officers responded to the scene.
Later, investigators said they discovered that someone had been shot at the Tip Top Mini Mart at 3004 Monroe Street, less than half a mile from the school.
Officers found a man dead inside the store, police said. He was identified by police as Craig S. Dewberry, 27, of Palm Bay, and officials said he was not associated with the Tip Top Mini Mart or the middle school.
“Initial witnesses reported several people running and several vehicles speeding away from the area,” the release reads. “The area was searched with a police K-9 and police officers.”
Bell was pinned as the suspect early in the investigation, and details emerged that he had been trying to flee South Florida, police explained.
According to detectives, Bell had traveled to Sebastian to board a Greyhound bus. Eventually, investigators found Bell at a bus station around 6:30 p.m. and he was arrested on charges of first-degree murder and robbery with a firearm.
Court records show that Bell was arrested nearly one year ago on charges involving grand theft, burglary, petit theft, loitering and child abuse. Those charges were all dropped by prosecutors, though.
Earlier this year, Bell was arrested again in Brevard County after he was found with a machine gun as a convicted felon, an arrest report reveals.
No additional information has been provided at this time, including the context of the Melbourne shooting.
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