On June 24, 2024 three women were killed in separate shootings in Bradenton, Florida. The suspect, 28-year-old Javontee Brice, allegedly shot his mother, cousin, and another woman before being fatally shot by deputies in a shootout in Georgia.
The Bradenton Police Department identified the victims as Titinysha Scott, 48, Sacouya Starquez Jonquila Brice, 29, and Charel Jones, 27.
The sequence of killings began at a Motel 6 in Bradenton, where Brice shot his mother, Titinysha Scott. According to Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells, Brice walked into the motel room, looked at his mother, and said, “I’m sorry.” When she asked, “What did you do?” he shot her three times in front of her boyfriend and two younger sisters.
Sheriff Wells detailed the timeline of events in a news conference, explaining that Brice’s rampage started earlier at an apartment in Palmetto, Florida. Brice allegedly threatened his ex-girlfriend, stating, “I have to kill you,” but was talked out of it by his sister. He then proceeded to Motel 6, where the first killing occurred.
Shortly after, around 9:40 p.m., deputies were called to another shooting in Palmetto, where Brice’s cousin, Sacouya Starquez Jonquila Brice, was found shot in a parked SUV. She was leaving a cookout when Brice approached and shot her. She died about an hour later.
The violence continued when Brice targeted his ex-girlfriend’s new partner, Charel Jones, who was shot and later died at a local hospital. As the investigation progressed, authorities learned that Brice was heading to Georgia to kill another ex-girlfriend.
A statewide Be On the Lookout (BOLO) alert was issued, and Hamilton County Sheriff’s deputies located Brice’s vehicle. Around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Brice engaged in a shootout with the deputies. Sheriff Wells confirmed, “Brice got out of the car shooting at deputies.” Fortunately, no deputies were injured during the exchange.
Authorities are still piecing together Brice’s motives. “He seemed to have an agenda. He knew exactly who he wanted to kill,” Wells said. Investigators are also questioning a woman who was in the car with Brice during his deadly journey. Brice had 12 children with different women and may have been targeting these ex-girlfriends, as well as women in his family.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will investigate the shootout involving Hamilton County deputies to ensure all protocols were followed.
This sequence of events has left the Bradenton and Palmetto communities in shock as friends and family of the victims are struggling to comprehend the sudden and violent loss of their loved ones. The investigation continues as authorities seek to understand what drove Brice to commit such heinous acts.
