PALM BAY, Fla. – Three men were shot to death early Tuesday in Palm Bay in two unrelated incidents, according to Palm Bay police officials.
Here's what we know:
- Lockdown lifted at Palm Bay Elementary School after a man who tried to enter an on-campus building was taken into custody, school officials said.
- First shooting: 2 victims found around 12:30 a.m. within blocks of each other near Liberia and Henry streets.
- Second shooting: 1 victim found at 2:20 a.m. on Agora Circle; police speaking with person of interest.
Palm Bay police Lt. Chris Imel said officers were called at 12:30 a.m. Tuesday after shots were fired. Imel said a man was found dead in a car near Liberia and Henry streets.
A short time later, Imel said, a man suffering from a gunshot wound was found in a yard on nearby Northview Street, about a block away from the other scene. Imel said the man later died.
Police said they believe those two men shot and killed each other over a drug-related dispute.
Police identified the men killed as Jayln Decosta, 21, of Jacksonville and Jerome Harris Jr., 23, of Palm Bay.
One person of interest was found in Jacksonville and is in police custody.
A woman at the scene said her nephew, who would have turned 23 on Wednesday, was one of the victims.
"He was gunned down in the street. I'm not sure why," his aunt said. "He would've given anybody anything. I don't know why this happened or why they did this to him. He would've never hurt nobody."
Victims have not been identified... but one woman we just spoke to says her nephew was killed @news6wkmg pic.twitter.com/bGOIlC26hP
— Justin Campbell (@JCampbellNews6) November 5, 2019
About 5 miles away from the first incident, police said a man was found at 2:20 a.m. shot to death in the driver's seat of a car parked in the middle of Agora Circle. Investigators have determined that shooting happened around 1 a.m.
That shooting victim has not been identified yet but police said he is a 61-year-old white man.
Officers found a vehicle thought to be related to that shooting in the area of Lichty Street and Palm Bay Road. Police are speaking with a person of interest.
"The lockdown has been lifted and that the suspect was caught," Brevard school officials said in an email. "The school is resuming dismissal at this time."
Police also said neither incident had anything to do with a fatal shooting that happened at Halloween house party last week.