A suspect in a triple homicide case in Florida was shot and killed after engaging in shootout with officers as he was traveling to Georgia, where police believe he intended to kill someone else.
Javontee Brice, 28, was identified by witnesses in the shooting of two women Monday night, according to the Bradenton Police Department. Manatee County Sheriff’s Office found a 48-year-old woman deceased at a Motel 6 location after receiving calls of shots fired at 9:15 p.m.
Witnesses say Brice arrived and shot his mother before fleeing the scene.
Less than a half hour later, deputies responded to a different shots fired call in Palmetto. A 29-year-old woman was shot while sitting in a parked SUV and died despite lifesaving measures taken by law enforcement, police said.
Brice was also identified by witnesses in that case, according to officials.
And at 10 p.m., Brice was identified as the gunman who shot a woman in the face at a home in Bradenton, police said. She died at a local hospital.
Authorities issued a statewide BOLO, or be on the lookout, alert for Brice’s vehicle. He was spotted in Hamilton County, which is near the state line between Florida and Georgia.
At roughly 1:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, Brice opened fire on Hamilton County deputies, Bradenton police said. He was ultimately shot and killed by authorities.
Homicide detectives that Brice was on his way to Georgia “with the intent to kill another individual.”
None of the women who were killed were identified by police in a Tuesday news release. Other than Brice’s mother, their relationships with Brice are not clear.
