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Suspect arrested for shooting, killing man at mini-mart in Brevard County, police say

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Updated  September 11, 2024 10:04am EDT
Melbourne
FOX 35 Orlando

Suspect in deadly Melbourne shooting sought

A deadly shooting in a Melbourne convenience store prompted the lockdown of two nearby schools.

MELBOURNE, Fla. - A man accused of fatally shooting another man at a mini-mart on Tuesday in Brevard County has been arrested, according to the Melbourne Police Department.

Authorities identified the suspect as Malachi Dante Bell, 21, of Homestead.

Officers said Bell had traveled to Sebastian, Florida, to board a Greyhound Bus with the intention of fleeing to South Florida. Melbourne police detectives, along with the Indian River Sheriff's Office, found Bell at the bus station on Tuesday evening, and he was taken into custody. 

Malachi Bell (Credit: Brevard County Sheriff's Office)

On Tuesday afternoon, police said a school resource officer at Stone Magnet Middle School reported hearing gunshots east of the school's campus and immediately put the school on lockdown.

The investigation led police to the Tip Top Mini Mart, located on Monroe Street, where a man was found dead inside the store. He was later identified as 27-year-old Craig S. Dewberry Jr., of Palm Bay.

Police said the man was not connected to the store or to the school. 

Witnesses told police they saw several people running from the area and vehicles speeding away. Officers and K-9 officers then began a search. Stone Magnet Middle School and University Park Elementary — both less than a mile away — were put on lockdown. Both lockdowns were lifted within an hour, police said.

Bell is facing charges of felony first-degree murder and robbery with a firearm in Dewberry's death.

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