Man Goes On Deadly Shooting Spree, Killing Mom, Cousin A Woman, While Posting Updates On Facebook
According to a report by Atlanta Black Star on Friday, June 28, 2024, Javontee Brice, 28, fatally shot his mother, cousin, and another woman in two Florida cities near Tampa.
Throughout the evening, Brice updated his Facebook profile, documenting his violent spree for the world to see.
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office reported that the tragic chain of events started at an apartment complex in Palmetto.
Brice had stopped there to meet with his sister and ex-girlfriend.
Sheriff Rick Wells told the Tampa Bay Times that Brice’s behavior was already alarming. His sister described him as “acting very strange” and recounted a terrifying encounter where Brice declared to his ex-girlfriend, “I have to kill you.”
She managed to talk him out of this threat, at least temporarily.
“He looked at the ex-girlfriend and said, ‘I have to kill you,’” Wells said during a news conference.
“Somehow, the sister was able to talk him down and talk him out of shooting this ex-girlfriend.”
The next known location of Brice was a Motel 6 in Bradenton, where his mother, her boyfriend, and two young girls were staying.
At approximately 9:15 p.m., authorities were dispatched to the motel. They found Brice’s 48-year-old mother with multiple gunshot wounds.
the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office issued a statewide alert, warning all law enforcement to be on the lookout for Brice’s vehicle.
Law enforcement agencies from various jurisdictions joined the search, tracking Brice to Hamilton County, more than 230 miles north of Bradenton.
Investigators learned he was heading to Georgia, possibly to target another ex-girlfriend.
At 11:22 p.m., Brice posted again on Facebook: “Baby I Love You To!! Kyla D. Blackmon.” His final post, just after midnight, was a chilling threat: “Since I can’t catch you ima catch your brother n**** you got me F*** up.”
Authorities eventually caught up with Brice at 1:30 a.m. Upon stopping his vehicle, Brice exited and opened fire on the deputies.
They returned fire, fatally wounding him. A woman who was with Brice in his car was detained and may have been present at each of the shooting scenes.
Sheriff Wells confirmed that Brice’s social media posts are integral to the ongoing investigation.
While no clear motive has emerged, investigators are interviewing Brice’s family and acquaintances to understand his state of mind in the days leading up to the shootings.
“We don’t know what set this man off. We don’t know why he chose to kill his loved ones. We may never know, but we’re going to continue to investigate,” Wells stated.
In the hours leading up to the shootings, Brice’s Facebook activity included multiple cryptic posts.
One post read, “The Only Relationship I Know I’ll Never Lose Is With The Lord.”
The day before the murders, he shared videos of two young girls, seemingly his daughters, with the caption, “I Maybe Brake & Broken Hundreds Of Women Hearts But I’ll Never Break Y’all Hearts! I Love You So So Much! ‘Both Yall First Words Were DaDa’ #MyBabies.”
