Police arrest man in the shooting deaths of 3 men in a Daytona Beach neighborhood

Police identified a convicted felon as the man who shot and killed three men Wednesday morning in Daytona Beach.

Jerome Lloyd Anderson, 38, called 911 at around 6:30 a.m. to report that he had shot someone, claiming he was defending himself, said Daytona Beach Police Deputy Chief Jennifer Whittet at a press conference.

Shootings occurred at 3 locations

The shootings took place at three separate locations in the area of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Park Drive.

The first victim, Antoine Desmond Melvin, 42, who lived with Anderson at 613 Park Drive, was located in the kitchen dead from multiple gunshot wounds. The second victim, John Burch, 65, was located dead in the street in front of 614 Park Drive. He was also shot multiple times, Whittet said.

Anderson was identified as the shooter by a witness in both incidents, according to a police report.

The third victim, Patrick Lassiter, 35, a transient, was found in the roadway at the intersection of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Park Drive. He was also shot multiple times. He was taken to Halifax Health Medical Center where he died, investigators said.

Detectives obtained video surveillance from the convenience store located at the scene of the shooting that shows Lassiter walking backward in the roadway with his hands up and Anderson running toward him. Anderson fires a handgun, Lassiter falls, and Anderson shoots him again as he lay on the ground, according to an arrest affidavit.

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Anderson was charged with three counts of first-degree premeditated murder and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Whittet said Anderson faces additional charges as they have learned of a fourth person who was shot at on the corner of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Park Drive, but was not hit.

Shooter holding a cell phone and a gun

When officers arrived at the scene of the shooting, they found Anderson standing in front of 613 Park Drive holding a cell phone in one hand and a black semi-automatic handgun in the other.

When Anderson was detained, police learned he had an open warrant for his arrest on charges of aggravated battery and tampering with a witness.

Anderson's Florida criminal history includes five felony convictions. He was adjudicated guilty of possession of heroin with intent to sell in Volusia County, according to the arrest affidavit.

Florida Department of Corrections records show Anderson served 2 years and 5 months in prison for shooting into a vehicle or building, a crime he committed in 2017.

Men shot after argument, threats

A witness told police that Anderson had argued with Melvin, Burch, and Lassiter the night before at the convenience store located at 518 South Martin Luther King Blvd., according to the affidavit.

The witness also said that Anderson "made statements pertaining to murdering them during the course of the argument."

The triple homicide on Wednesday brings the total number of shooting deaths in Daytona to 10 since January. In the first seven months of 2022, the city had eight shooting deaths. A total of 15 gun-related murders were committed in all of 2022.

The high number of gun murders this year prompted leaders of the Daytona Beach Black Clergy Alliance and the local NAACP to call out to the community for help on Wednesday.

"We are here out of concern for the community and the continued gun violence in our community," said Cynthia Slater, president of the Volusia County/Daytona Beach NAACP. "We need to come together as a community to support law enforcement and the city of Daytona Beach to stop this violence because we can no longer continue to put our residents and citizens of Daytona at risk."

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Men shot and killed in Daytona Beach