Bond denied for woman linked to quadruple shooting in Daytona Beach

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. - A woman linked to a shooting that injured four people in Daytona Beach over the weekend appeared before a judge Tuesday afternoon.

During her first appearance, Karla Bermudez was formally read her charges of attempted felony murder with a firearm (four counts) and carrying a concealed firearm into an establishment with alcohol, a violation of concealed carry. 

The judge ordered Bermudez to be held in the Volusia County jail without bond. She also cannot have contact with the victims or their families. Bermudez must also surrender any firearms or weapons to law enforcement within 48 hours. 

"Is my lawyer here? I'm supposed to have a lawyer here," Bermudez asked the judge. 

"Ma'am, we have an attorney here from the public defender's office. That's the defense attorney that we have here," the judge replied.

On Saturday, July 22, shortly before midnight, Daytona Beach police officers responded to a parking lot outside a nightclub near Seabreeze Blvd. and Atlantic Avenue (A1A) where a fight had occurred between a group of people, police said. At some point, an unknown woman fired shots.

A total of four people were hurt, police said, adding that all are expected to survive (police initially said three people were hurt).

Police had been looking for a person of interest, possibly connected to the shooting. Earlier Monday, Daytona Beach police said someone had been detained. Not long after, police announced the arrest of Bermudez. 

In the aftermath of the quadruple shooting, Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young expressed frustrations with the lack of resources available to the department.  The area where the alleged shooting occurred is where a police substation was approved more than a year ago. Due to logistical issues, it remains unopened. 

"That's also been a point of frustration because that facility should have been open by now," he said. "We're dealing with supply chain issues like everything else." 

The new deadline is set for September 1. 

Chief Young alluded to the possibility of the shooting being prevented, had there been more presence in the area. He said at the time of the incident, all 10 officers in the area were occupied. The purpose of the substation will be to deter crime but also respond quickly when it does happen. He’s confident an impending recruiting class will help the department account for situations where the department is stretched thin. 

"I’m meeting with command staff, and we're going to figure out a way to try to keep [officers] up there on Seabreeze," he said. "I would like them up there from 10 p.m. to at least bar closing," Chief Young explained.

Investigators said Bermudez told officers that she acted in self-defense; however, according to Young, the surveillance footage does not support that claim. Videos recorded on bystanders’ cell phones show a brawl occurred shortly before the shots were fired. 

Details on what led to the shooting, a possible motive, or how Bermudez is connected were not immediately available.