A retired Catholic priest and his sister were among the dead after a man went on an apparent rampage in Palm Bay, Florida, on Sunday, also killing his grandfather and injuring two officers before he was fatally shot by police, officials said Monday.
Officers responded Sunday to domestic disturbance call at a northeast Palm Bay home and confronted the suspect, ultimately killing him, Palm Bay Police Chief Mariano Augello said.
After the shooting, police found the body of a man identified as the suspect’s grandfather, Augello said. His name has not been released.
The bodies of the priest and his sister were found Monday as police went to another home as part of the investigation, the chief said.
The priest was identified as Father Robert “Bob” Hoeffner, and his sister as Sally Hoeffner, Rev. John Noonan, Bishop of Orlando said in a statement Monday.
At an afternoon news conference on Monday, Augello said the suspect had a relationship with the two but its nature wasn’t exactly clear. The suspect was identified as Brandon Kapas, 24.
Officers were called around 2:07 p.m. Sunday to a residence where a birthday party had been taking place. They arrived at the house 12 minutes later and were told by the suspect’s uncle that Kapas may have had had firearms in the vehicle he had used to get to the residence, Augello said.
After officers arrived, the suspect walked “hastily” toward the vehicle, and at least one officer deployed a taser, the chief said. Its probes, if they struck him, had no affect, he said.
At least one officer then got into a physical altercation with Kapas, and gunfire erupted, Augello said. The suspect “broke free,” and was ultimately shot and killed by officers, the chief said.
Augello said Sunday the suspect fled on foot after officers were shot, and police pursued him before fatally shooting him.
The grandfather was found dead the location of the disturbance, and investigators found “an arsenal of weapons” in the car, Augello said.
The two officers injured in the confrontation were expected to survive, he said. One had surgery Monday and was released; the other was expected to undergo surgery before being released, he said. The were not publicly identified.
On Monday, officers investigating the violence tracked ownership or registration of the vehicle the suspect drove Sunday to an address where the priest and his sister were found fatally shot, the chief said.
Noonan of the Diocese of Orlando said the pair were killed Sunday.
“Throughout his priesthood, Father Hoeffner served the people of God with compassion and humility,” he said in Monday’s statement. “We will miss his grace-filled presence. We know he and his sister are received by the Lord with mercy and love.”
Augello praised his officers as heroic in the face the life-threatening violence and called the suspect “potentially an active shooter” because there was so much firepower found in the vehicle he used.
The motive is unknown. “We don’t know what sparked it,” Augello said.
The chief said Kapas had a “criminal history” that includes driving under the influence and resisting arrest. It wasn’t clear if he was referring to allegations or convictions.
Palm Bay is about 70 miles southeast of Orlando.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
