Daytona Beach shooting suspect called 911 after shooting, killing three men: police
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - A man was arrested after three people died in an early morning shooting in Daytona Beach on Wednesday, according to Daytona Beach officials.
The suspect, Jerome Anderson, called 911 reporting that he'd shot someone near the intersection of MLK and Park Drive around 6:30 a.m. Several others called 911 after the shots were fired, an arrest affidavit shows.
Three victims were found in three separate places when officers arrived.
The first victim, 43-year-old Antoine Melvin, was found inside a kitchen area at 613 Park Drive and pronounced deceased at the scene, police said.
The second victim, 65-year-old John Burch, was found next to the roadway in front of 614 Park Drive and also died at the scene. The third victim, 36-year-old Patrick Lassiter, was found in the roadway on South Martin Luther King south of Park Drive.
Lassiter was taken to the hospital where he later died from his injuries. When officers arrived they found Anderson who was holding his cell phone in one hand and a gun in the other.
A detective recovered video surveillance from a nearby convenience store showing Lassiter walking backward in the roadway with his hands up. Anderson then runs towards Lassiter and shoots him, according to an arrest affidavit. Anderson fires the gun again toward Lassiter while he's on the ground.
A witness also told police she saw Anderson shoot Melvin, Burch, and Lassiter following an argument the night before at a convenience store. She said Anderson made "statements pertaining to murdering them during the course of the argument."
The witness positively identified Anderson as the shooter during a photo lineup. A second witness told detectives that Anderson admitted to shooting Burch.
Lassiter's older brother, Anthony Lassiter, spoke exclusively to FOX 35 News. "It's senseless. It's stupid. Like, it's, it's a lot, so I'm torn to pieces I am. I'm a strong man, but I'm torn."
Anthony described his brother as a man with great talent whom he loved deeply. "When I say it burns bad, it burns bad, because, you know, I can understand if he was dealing with a gang, and you know, stuff like that. But this is one of them cases where this shouldn't happen."
At the time of the shooting, Anderson had an active warrant for aggravated battery and tampering with a witness, police said.
Anderson was arrested on three counts of first-degree premeditated murder, and possession of weapon-ammo by a convicted felon.