The three shootings all came at different locations in less than an hour
By Madison Glaser, Jamiya Coleman and Staci Inez
Published: Jun. 25, 2024 at 7:13 AM EDT|Updated: 17 hours ago
JASPER, Fla. (WCTV) - A Hillsborough County man is dead after killing three people Monday night and later being located in Hamilton County, where he died in a shootout with Hamilton County deputies.
“I think God intervened and kept our officers alive during this situation,” said Hamilton County Sheriff Harrell Reid. “They were out there putting their lives on the line, so they didn’t fire until they were fired upon.”
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said the suspect, 28-year-old Javontee Brice, was wanted in connection to three shooting deaths, one being his mother. The three shootings happened at different locations in less than an hour.
WARNING: Before reading further, please be aware this story contains details not suitable for all readers.
The MCSO held a press conference around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday to discuss the timeline of the fatal shootings:
Incident Timeline
The MCSO’s Sheriff Rick Wells said during the press conference Tuesday morning that it is believed the incident initially started before 9 p.m. Monday at the Palmetto Trace Apartments. Inside one of the Palmetto Trace apartments was Brice’s sister and the mother of one of his children.
When Brice walked into the apartment, Sheriff Wells said Brice looked at his child’s mother and said “I have to kill you.” However, Sheriff Wells said Brice’s sister was able to talk him out of shooting his child’s mother.
The next incident unfolded around 9:15 p.m. that same night at Motel 6, located on 6th Street Circle East in Bradenton, according to a MCSO’s Tuesday press release. Inside one of the Motel 6′s rooms were Brice’s mother, 48-year-old Titimysha Scott, his mother’s boyfriend, and two young sisters, according to Sheriff Wells.
Sheriff Wells said Brice walked into the hotel room, looked at his mother, and said “I’m sorry” before shooting her three times in front of her boyfriend and the two young sisters. When deputies arrived at the motel, they found Brice’s mother dead from an apparent gunshot wound, according to the Tuesday press release.
Witnesses told deputies that Brice shot his mother for “unknown reasons,” and that he was possibly headed to Georgia.
Deputies were then called to another scene, 25 minutes later, to 26th Street Court East near 9th Avenue Drive East, in Palmetto. When deputies arrived, they found a 29-year-old woman shot inside a parked SUV. The 29-year-old woman was later identified as Brice’s cousin, Sacouya Brice, and died about an hour later at a local hospital, according to Sheriff Wells.
Sheriff Wells said during the press conference that Brice shot her as she was attempting to get into her SUV as she was leaving a residence. Witnesses also identified Brice as the shooter.
Around 10 p.m., deputies were dispatched to 55th Street West near Bradenton, to find another adult woman shot, according to the MCSO press release. She was transported to a local hospital where she later died. Brice was also identified as the shooter here, according to deputies.
Sheriff Wells said that the third incident unfolded as a result of Brice traveling to the ex-girlfriend’s home that she shared with her new partner, Charel Carter, and shooting and killing Carter.
MCSO then issued a BOLO for Brice’s car, according to the press release.
Manatee Homicide detectives said Brice was traveling to Georgia with the intent to kill another person. The MCSO said during the press conference that they learned Brice possibly had a third ex-girlfriend living in Georgia and that he was possibly traveling to kill her.
Around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Deputies located the vehicle matching the suspect description on I-75, according to the HCSO’s Tuesday press release.
HCSO deputies believed Brice was aware of them following, and he voluntarily pulled into the Exxon Mobil parking lot off exit 451. Sheriff Reid said another woman was also in the car with Brice at the time. “They both put their hands up, but then, when he came out of the car, he was armed with a handgun and immediately started firing at my officers,” said Sheriff Reid.
Officials said deputies returned fire, killing Brice. “It’s just by the grace of God,” Sheriff Reid said. “Three of the bullets went through the driver side window of one of my patrol cars, and the deputy was right behind that door, himself.”
Roughly 40 to 50 rounds were fired off during the shootout, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s evidence.
The other woman in the car with Brice ran away from the exchange. Deputies said she is answering their questions and is not facing any charges. WCTV asked if the woman was being held against her will. Sheriff Reid said she did not express that, but did tell deputies Brice pulled a gun on her the night before the shootings.
The HCSO deputies were unharmed but are on leave and receiving counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the HCSO.
There is no current threat to Hamilton County residents, according to the HCSO.
The FDLE is investigating the deputy-involved shooting, according to Sheriff Wells with the MCSO. The MCSO is continuing to investigate the triple homicide.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story erroneously reported that Javontee Brice was from Manatee County. It has since been updated to state he is from Hillsborough County, according to a records search.
To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook and X (Twitter).
Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Write us here. Please include the article's headline in your message.
Keep up with all the biggest headlines on the WCTV News app. Click here to download it now.
Copyright 2024 WCTV. All rights reserved.
