A suspect is in custody after police say a chain of violent incidents unfolded in Ormond Beach and Daytona Beach, starting outside Daytona College in Ormond Beach and ending with an Ormond Beach police officer shot at a Daytona Beach hospital. Investigators say the same person is accused of assaulting an elderly couple in Ormond Beach before the officer-involved shooting, and the suspect now faces two counts of attempted first-degree murder with more charges likely to follow.
A String of Incidents Across Two Cities
According to WESH, one of the incidents occurred right outside Daytona College in Ormond Beach, while another saw an officer shot at a Daytona Beach hospital. The station reports the suspect is accused both of assaulting an elderly couple in Ormond Beach and of shooting an Ormond Beach Police Department officer in Daytona Beach. Police say two other victims, a 79-year-old man and a 74-year-old woman, are connected to the incidents, and both were taken to a hospital in critical condition, the outlet notes.
The first incident in the chain began Sunday night, when officers responded to Daytona College at 425 S. Nova Road, according to WFTV. That report does not detail how the campus incident connects to the later assault and shooting, and the station's account focuses on the initial police response to the scene.
Officer's Condition Disputed Between Outlets
Accounts of the wounded officer's condition differ. WESH reports that the officer sustained non-life-threatening injuries, while FOX 13 News reports that authorities had not released details about the officer's condition. Neither outlet's version has been reconciled with the other as of this writing.
Police have said it is unclear what led to the incidents, per the same WESH report. The exact sequence connecting the campus battery, the assault on the elderly couple and the hospital shooting has not been laid out by investigators.
No Threat to the Community, Police Say
Despite the scope of the allegations, police said there is no threat to the community, since the suspect is already in custody. Investigators noted the suspect is likely to face additional charges beyond the two counts of attempted first-degree murder already filed.
The investigation remains ongoing, and key questions — including what triggered the initial confrontation — have not yet been publicly answered. WESH identified the suspect as Michael Hightower, 40, of Daytona Beach, and reported that the 79-year-old man and 74-year-old woman were hospitalized in critical condition.
