A tragic series of events unfolded in Manatee County, where a man identified as Javontee Brice, 28, carried out a deadly rampage that claimed the lives of three women, including his mother and cousin. Brice was later killed in a shootout with deputies in Hamilton County as he attempted to flee the state.
According to WTSP, Brice's violent spree began at an apartment complex in Palmetto where he confronted his sister and an ex-girlfriend, who is also the mother of one of his children. Brice reportedly expressed his intent to kill his ex-girlfriend but, was talked down by his sister. The situation, however, escalated later at a Motel 6 in Bradenton.
At approximately 9:17 PM, Brice entered a room at the Motel 6 and, after apologizing to his 48-year-old mother, shot her three times, Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells explained in a statement obtained by FOX 13 News. Minutes after receiving a 911 call, deputies and first responders arrived at the scene to find his mother deceased and others in the room unharmed.
The violence did not stop there. Around 9:40 PM, Brice fatally shot his 29-year-old cousin as she was getting into her SUV after a family cookout. Shortly after 10 PM, another shooting occurred in Bradenton where Brice fatally shot his ex-girlfriend's new partner, according to details shared by Sheriff Wells with Bay News 9. The woman succumbed to her injuries at the hospital.
Brice was tracked down and killed in a subsequent exchange of gunfire with Hamilton County Sheriff’s deputies as he was reportedly heading toward Georgia. Sheriff Rick Wells, in a news conference, stated that "He had an agenda. He knew exactly who he wanted to kill," highlighting the premeditated nature of the attacks. The motive behind the slayings remains unclear. The tragic events have left a community grappling with the consequences of a targeted and senseless violence.
