Suspect in mass shooting: voices told me to kill demons
By Caleb Califano, Ari Hait
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RIVIERA BEACH, Florida (WPBF) — Riviera Beach police say they now believe the suspect in a mass shooting in Riviera Beach was hearing voices in his head telling him to kill people.
The shooting began inside the Azure Estates community in Riviera Beach around 6:15 Monday night.
A man police have identified as 20-year-old Terrell Gibson of West Palm Beach was visiting a friend in the community and said he felt like he was being harassed.
Investigators said Gibson told them voices in his head told him to get a gun and shoot people.
“The spirits told him to kill the demons, at which time, he shot the people that was in front of him,” said Chief Michael Coleman of the Riviera Beach Police.
Gibson attempted to flee the scene by running onto Martin Luther King Boulevard, where he stopped an SUV and tried to steal it.
“During this attempt, he shot three additional victims and ultimately succeeded in taking a vehicle by force before fleeing the area,” Coleman said.
Among those shot was a pastor from Life Center Church in Riviera Beach.
Community members identified the victim as Pastor James Easley.
His condition remains unknown.
In total, five people were shot, with one person killed, two in critical condition, and two others suffering non-life-threatening injuries.
Gibson was arrested Monday night in St. Lucie County. Police displayed a photo of the handgun and ammunition used in the shooting.
“He had a tumbler magazine, extended magazine with a tumbler, so multiple, 30 to 40 different rounds, rounds in his clip,” Coleman said.
Gibson now faces a long list of charges, including first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, and is being held without bond.
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