Rev. Akeem Moore, a 31-year-old West Palm Beach minister, was shot in the back while sitting in his white Ford Fusion outside a home on Ontario Place around 12:30 a.m. on September 27, and died from his injuries after driving himself and his girlfriend a mile to safety. Police say the shooting appears to have been a case of mistaken identity, with the gunman allegedly aiming for someone else entirely.
According to a police affidavit reported by Premier Christian News, 38-year-old Hugh Earp Milner Jr. pounded on the vehicle's passenger window and shouted, “Is this what we are doing now?” He mistook Moore's girlfriend, 30-year-old Loren Wilder, for her 39-year-old sister Shavon Wilder, Milner's ex-girlfriend. Investigators say Milner had sent angry, threatening text messages to Shavon shortly before the confrontation, which left her sister fearing for both their lives as he approached the car.
As Moore reversed the Fusion, Milner allegedly opened fire, striking Moore in the back. Despite the wound, Moore called 911 and drove roughly a mile to a fire station on Congress Avenue, where paramedics took over and transported him to St. Mary's Medical Center. He did not survive. Moore reportedly told Wilder, who he had dated for more than a year, that she had not been the intended target.
Police Chief Calls Moore's Final Act Heroic
West Palm Beach Police Chief Antonio Araujo called Moore a hero, saying he acted selflessly and courageously after being shot. Police have not said why Milner confused the two women, according to the same report.
Milner fled in a black Hyundai Elantra, and investigators used Flock Safety automated license-plate readers to trace his car south across county lines into Broward County, according to Premier Christian News. Broward Sheriff's Office deputies located the car and arrested him on September 27. Milner, who had an address in Riviera Beach, was transferred from Broward County to the Palm Beach County Jail late on September 30, per the West Palm Beach Police Department.
Charges Carry Possibility of Death Penalty
A news release from the West Palm Beach Police Department states Milner was charged with first-degree murder with a firearm, attempted first-degree murder with a firearm, and shooting into an occupied vehicle. Under Florida Statute § 782.04(1)(a), first-degree premeditated murder is a capital felony punishable exclusively by life imprisonment without parole or the death penalty, according to the Florida Legislature. Separately, shooting into an occupied vehicle under Florida Statute § 790.19 is a second-degree felony carrying up to 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
During an October 1 court appearance at the Palm Beach County Jail, Circuit Judge Donald W. Hafele denied bail for Milner, ordering him held without bond pending trial, the same outlet reports. Court records had not indicated whether Milner had an appointed attorney at that point.
Remembered as Preacher, Musician and Mentor
Friends and family have celebrated Moore as a charismatic minister, musician and educator who shaped Palm Beach County's faith community. Bishop W. Oshea Granger, senior pastor of Mount Calvary Baptist Church of West Palm Beach, praised Moore in a statement relayed by Christian Post Español as a “sound, inspiring preacher of the Gospel” who led the church's worship ministry along with its social media, technology and evangelistic outreach efforts.
Moore developed his musical background at Bethune-Cookman University and played drums, piano and keyboard by ear, though he never learned to read music, according to the same outlet. He was pursuing a Master of Divinity at Palm Beach Atlantic University while teaching at Renaissance Charter School at Cypress in West Palm Beach, and he was an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi.
State Rep. Jervonte “Tae” Edmonds said Moore's death cut short the life of a promising community leader. Moore's cousin, Malik Brown, said his talent “was given from God,” describing a man remembered for passionate preaching, singing and musical performances that touched congregants well beyond Mount Calvary's walls.
