WEST MELBOURNE — One man is dead and two others wounded after West Melbourne police said a group of people broke into an apartment early Sunday and were met by an armed homeowner.
The shooting happened at about 2:25 a.m. at the Reserves of Melbourne apartment complex in the 2200 block of Launch Court, just south of West New Haven Avenue. The suspects are believed to be in their 20s, said Graig Erenstoft, spokesperson for the West Melbourne Police Department.
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“We’re conducting interviews, and we’re still investigating the scene, and we’re processing the scene,” Erenstoft said.
The case is the latest in a spate of violent episodes to hit Brevard County in less than two weeks, from a random carjacking that left a 56-year-old man dead at a Palm Bay gas station last Wednesday to four teens being shot and wounded Tuesday at a Palm Bay apartment complex.
The latest incident unfolded after several people, possibly armed with at least one firearm, forcefully broke into an apartment, police said. The homeowner, who had a gun of unknown caliber, fired on the group, striking at least three of those carrying out the home invasion, police reported. Police arrived minutes later along with paramedics.
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One unidentified suspect was taken to Holmes Regional Medical Center where a doctor later pronounced him dead. Another suspect turned up on his own at the hospital and was treated for his wounds, police said. No details were released about the third person who was shot.
Detectives were talking to witnesses and working to sort out whether the apartment was targeted or if it was a random attempted robbery. It was not immediately known if the suspects knew the homeowner, Erenstoft said.
The shooting death marks the 37th reported homicide to take place in Brevard since January.
J.D. Gallop is a Criminal Justice/Breaking News Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or jgallop@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @JDGallop.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: West Melbourne homeowner shoots home invaders, 1 dead, 2 injured