A Halloween party on Robinson Drive in Palm Coast turned into what the sheriff is calling a nightmare after a fistfight escalated into drawn guns and a gunshot early Sunday, leaving three men in handcuffs. Braxton Samuels, 22, Logan DaSilva, 18, and Iain Smith, 22, were all arrested in connection with the incident, according to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.
A Punch Sparks a Chain Reaction
According to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office, deputies arrested the three men following an altercation at the Halloween party. A man told deputies that Samuels punched him in the face after using a racial slur, as reported by WFTV, which first identified the Robinson Drive location. A fellow partygoer then stepped in, grabbing Samuels and tackling him to the ground, per the sheriff's account.
That intervention is reportedly what set off the next, far more dangerous phase of the night. DaSilva and Smith allegedly pulled guns and pointed them at both the original victim and the partygoer who had tackled Samuels, according to the sheriff's office. The two men say they tried to leave while still held at gunpoint.
Shot Fired as Victims Fled
As the two victims climbed into a vehicle to get away, a gunshot was fired in an unknown direction, the sheriff's office said. One of the victims told deputies he believed DaSilva was the one who fired it, though that identification has not been independently confirmed beyond the victim's account. Samuels reportedly admitted to deputies that he also pulled a firearm and fired into the ground, and said DaSilva did the same, according to the sheriff's office.
Smith told deputies he owned two firearms, the sheriff's office said, and deputies located one firearm inside his vehicle and another inside his residence. The discovery of weapons at Smith's home added another layer to the case beyond what happened at the party itself.
Charges and Bonds for All Three
Samuels was arrested on charges of battery, improper exhibition of a firearm, and discharging a firearm on residential property, according to the sheriff's office. DaSilva faces two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, along with improper exhibition of a firearm and discharging a firearm on residential property. Smith was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill.
Under Florida Statutes, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon is defined as an assault committed without intent to kill, or with intent to commit a felony, and is classified as a third-degree felony. The state's statutes governing firearms separately list offenses for improper exhibition of a dangerous weapon and discharging a firearm in public or on residential property, the two additional charges Samuels and DaSilva face.
All three men were booked into the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility before being released on bond. Samuels posted a $3,000 bond, DaSilva's bond was set at $15,000, and Smith was released on a $10,000 bond, the sheriff's office said.
Sheriff Calls Suspects 'Idiots'
Sheriff Rick Staly did not mince words in describing the case. “These three idiots turned a fun party into a Halloween nightmare, and I'm thankful nobody was seriously injured or killed as a result of their actions,” Staly said.
The Palm Coast arrests came amid a violent holiday weekend nationally. At least 15 people were killed and dozens more injured in shootings across 11 states over Halloween weekend, according to USA Today. In Jacksonville, two separate Halloween party shootings about two hours apart left a 17-year-old girl and a 20-year-old man dead and at least 11 others injured, with one of those shootings occurring at a house party attended by an estimated 100 to 200 people. In Ellendale, Delaware, a 17-year-old girl was killed and eight others were wounded during an outdoor Halloween party on Oct. 31. Those incidents remain separate cases with no established connection to the Palm Coast arrests.
Florida has also seen Halloween violence resurface in the courts this week. In Palm Bay, Latrawn S. Servant was sentenced to 25 years in prison followed by lifetime probation after prosecutors said security video showed him firing four times through the driver-side window of a car outside the Hive Lounge following a 2021 Halloween party, according to Space Coast Daily. The victim in that case, 19-year-old Frank Glover, died from gunshot wounds after his car crashed into a tree.
