Purvin and Debbie Evans, Fort Pierce, Okeechobee County, Florida couple shot dead by their neighbor while sitting on their porch after suspect firing off 15 gunshots who was then shot dead by responding police.
A Florida man was killed in a police shootout after fatally gunning down his neighbors as they sat on a porch, Sunday afternoon.
While authorities declined to identify the victims and the shooter, social media identified the victims as Purvin Evans and Debbie Evans of Okeechobee County, who were shot and killed by neighbor just on 1.30 p.m in Okeechobee’s Brindaband Forest area.
Following the couple being shot, the gunman engaged in a shootout with responding police before being killed.
Okeechobee suspect engaged responding officers in shootout
Involved in the exchange of gunfire were five Okeechobee County Sheriff deputies and one Okeechobee Police Department officer. The five deputies were placed on administrative leave, WPBF reported.
Prior to police arriving, up to 15 to 30 gunshots were fired according to neighbors.
Upon deputies arriving at the scene, the un-named suspect proceeded to engage in a shootout with officers, who returned fire, ‘incapacitating’ the shooter, according to Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Michael Hazellief.
The suspect who suffered gunshot wounds later died at hospital.
The suspect was described as wearing all black clothing and having a long-barreled gun, CBS12.
Okeechobee suspect had mental illness
Posted Linda Evans, a relative of the victims on Facebook, ‘Fort Pierce just lost 2 beautiful souls . They was in Okeechobee sitting at there weekend home. When a monster killed them while sitting on there front porch. Purvin Evans spent most of his life in Ft.pierce doing Stucco work on jobs around this town.’
Added Evans when asked why the couple were targeted, ‘They was sitting on there porch the monster there neighbor had mental illness and walk out of his house as my brother was sitting with his wife and shot both and was shooting at other people and houses. Just an angry man’
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting, while the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office will be investigating the homicide.
Not immediately clear is what led to the gunman targeting his neighbors.
