'Massive manhunt' ends in suspect's death after 5 shot, 2 killed, deputy injured
9:03 a.m. update:
The suspect who allegedly shot five people, killing two and wounding a deputy, was killed in a confrontation with law enforcement, according to the Gadsden County Sheriff's Office.
"Suspect has been killed during an exchange of gunfire with SWAT in Columbia County!" the Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post. "Let's pray for the victims and the healing for their families during this tragic time!"
The Sheriff's Office told the public to "standby for more" information.
Earlier update:
A massive, multi-agency manhunt is underway after a man allegedly went on a bloody rampage, shooting four people, two fatally, during a gas station robbery in Gadsden County before fleeing the area and later shooting and injuring a Suwannee County deputy.
The Gadsden County Sheriff's Office said early Friday that the agency and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement were investigating an armed robbery that happened at the Mobile gas station at 3749 Pat Thomas Parkway.
'As a result of the robbery, four victims were shot and two victims succumbed to their injuries,' the Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post around 12:30 a.m. Friday.
Seven hours later, the Sheriff's Office said that the suspect's vehicle was spotted in Columbia County, prompting a pursuit that included the Florida Highway Patrol.
'A pursuit by FHP, Columbia and Suwannee Co Sheriff's offices led to the driver crashing,' the Gadsden County Sheriff's Office said in its update. 'The driver then fired on the officers striking a Suwannee County deputy.
The deputy, who was wearing body armor, suffered injuries that are not considered life-threatening, the Sheriff's Office said.
'The suspect fled on foot and is now the target of a massive manhunt involving the FHP, GCSO, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Columbia Co, Suwannee Co and FDLE,' the Gadsden County Sheriff's Office said.
In Suwannee County, the Sheriff's Office urged all residents who live around U.S. Highway 90 west, east of 129th Street and north of the highway, to shelter in place and lock their doors.
'Please avoid the area,' the Sheriff's Office said. 'US 90 West is closed between 133rd Road and Goldkist Blvd for the foreseeable future.'
In a 6:30 a.m. update on Facebook, the Suwannee County Sheriff's Office said the suspect fired on two of its deputies, striking one.
"Our deputy was shot but is OK," the Sheriff's Office said.
The suspect we are chasing is suspected of shooting 4 people during a Robbery in Gadsden County, killing two," the Sheriff's Office said. "We have a massive law enforcement response in the area containing him and apprehend him."
The Suwannee County Sheriff's Office described the suspect as a black man wearing a dark top and black pants and carrying a black backpack and at least one handgun.
The Gadsden Sheriff's Office released an image of the suspect and the suspect's vehicle, a light-colored SUV. Anyone with information is asked to call Investigator DeLeon at the Gadsden County Sheriff's Office at 850-627-9233 or the anonymous Big Bend Crime Solvers line at 850-574-8477.
Check back with Tallahassee.com for more on this breaking story.
Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or 850-599-2180.
This story was updated to add a video.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Manhunt in Florida: Suspect killed after shooting rampage; deputy shot
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Why is a grand jury asking for e-cigarettes not to be sold at the Walker County Jail anymore?
JASPER, Ala. (WIAT) — As a grand jury made the decision to indict Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith on charges of hiring uncertified personnel as deputies within his department, the group also took it on themselves to weigh in on an unrelated matter. While going through recommendations recently compiled by the grand jury, District Attorney Bill Adair read off one particular line regarding the Walker County Jail. 'Due to the number of recent arson charges attributed to e-cigarette misuse by inmates in the Walker County Jail, e-cigarettes pose a safety risk to the staff and inmates of the Walker County Jail,' Adair said during a press conference Tuesday morning. 'The grand jury recommends that e-cigarette sales to inmates at the Walker County Jail be discontinued and a safe alternative be substituted.' Chris Uptain, chief of the Jasper Fire & Rescue, said there have been at least two fires reported at the Walker County Jail within the last year that were caused by e-cigarettes. He didn't have a number for any fires reported last year. On November 17, 2021, Joe Brandon Thornton escaped from the Walker County Jail after he intentionally set a blanket on fire using a vape in his cell. He was caught two days later. Earlier this year on Jan. 21, another fire was reported at the jail. Using his personal Facebook profile, Smith said the fire was the result of a mattress that had caught on fire, although he didn't specify if it was caused by an e-cigarette. 'Many times, inmates will disassemble electrical components inside their cell to do this,' Smith wrote. 'Once the officer noticed the smoke they quickly evacuated the dorm and got all inmates to safety.' According to The Daily Mountain Eagle, the Walker County Commission was set to take up a motion to ban e-cigarettes at county facilities, but the issue was tabled in February after Smith brought up how e-cigarette sales from inmates alone generated an estimated $20,000 per month for the department. 'The store sales pay $120,000 per year for radios for us to communicate with, because the county did not go to the digital system when everyone was supposed to go to the digital radios many years ago,' Smith said. 'The Walker County Commission did not allocate funds for those purchases in our budget. In fact, the Walker County Commission has not purchased patrol cars for the sheriff's department since 2014. Those funds are paid through the jail store.' In the report, Smith was quoted as telling the commission that e-cigarettes had been sold at the jail for over a decade and that money generated from them went toward things like patrol cars, radios, bulletproof vests and more. The commission eventually passed a resolution banning e-cigarettes from being smoked inside all county buildings. However, the Walker County Jail was allowed to continue selling them, as long as inmates smoked outside. Elsewhere, e-cigarettes have presented unique problems in jail. In 2019, inmates at the Etowah County Jail used batteries and wires from e-cigarettes to burn a hole in a cell window. As a result, e-cigarettes were banned at the jail for 72 hours. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Louisiana father who left 1-year-old daughter in hot car for over 9 hours faces murder charge: police
A Louisiana father was charged with second-degree murder after allegedly leaving his 21-month-old daughter inside a hot car for more than nine hours. Joseph Boatman, 32, of Hammond, was arrested Sunday after the child died outside a home in Madisonville, according to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office. "Detectives with the STPSO Major Crimes Unit have learned that Boatman had strapped the toddler in her car seat inside the vehicle after picking her up from a family member's residence shortly after 2:30 a.m. Sunday," police said. "After strapping the toddler in her car seat, Boatman went back inside the residence and never returned to the vehicle. It was also learned that prior to Boatman arriving to pick up his daughter, he had consumed multiple alcoholic beverages," the sheriff's office added. Florida Woman Given Maximum Sentence In Death Of Second Grandchild Police say they responded to the home shortly before noon Sunday, "after a family member located the girl unresponsive inside the vehicle." Read On The Fox News App Temperatures in the area around that time were about 90 degrees. "This is a devastating loss that no family ever wants to face," St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith said in a statement. "When a child is left in a vehicle, especially on a day when the heat index climbs over 100 degrees, the outcome can turn deadly in a matter of minutes. This case involved compromised judgment, and the result was heartbreaking." Child Hot Car Death Pushes Parents Who Lost Daughter To Sound Alarm About 'Preventable Tragedy' The website No Heat Stroke, which tracks the deaths of children inside hot cars in the U.S., said it was the fifth instance this year, following cases in New Mexico, California, Maryland and New Jersey. "A child's body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult's. When a child is left in a vehicle, that child's temperature can rise quickly – and the situation can quickly become dangerous," the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says on its website. "In 2024, 39 children died of heatstroke in vehicles — up 35% from 2023." The NHTSA also says, "Never leave a child in a vehicle unattended for any length of time," and, "Rolling windows down or parking in the shade does little to change the interior temperature of the vehicle."Original article source: Louisiana father who left 1-year-old daughter in hot car for over 9 hours faces murder charge: police
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Wanted Altoona woman found in an attic, claimed she hid as best she could
ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ) — A wanted Altoona woman who police said had two active warrants was arrested and jailed Tuesday. On Monday, June 9, Altoona police made a Facebook post in an attempt to locate 43-year-old Crystal Dollar. According to police, the Blair County Sheriff's Office had two felony warrants regarding her failure to appear on possession with intent to deliver drug cases from Altoona police and state police. Altoona police updated the post that she had been found Tuesday. According to a criminal complaint, police received numerous tips from the community and were able to locate Dollar in the attic of a home, trying to hide under a blanket. She allegedly told officers she got scared when she heard them knocking and tried to hide the best she documents filed June 10 show that Dollar was charged with one felony count of fleeing to avoid apprehension. She was placed in Blair County Prison, unable to post a $15,000 bond. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
