Authorities say two people were killed in Ponte Vedra before a manhunt stretched into Nassau County.
NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. — A 32-year-old man was arrested Saturday after deputies said he fatally shot two people in a Walgreens parking lot in Ponte Vedra late Friday, fled across PGA Tour property near TPC Sawgrass and was captured hours later after a multi-county search.
Investigators said the shooting happened about 10:30 p.m. Friday at the Walgreens at Palm Valley Road in Ponte Vedra. St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick said the case appeared to be tied to a domestic violence situation, and he said the suspect and victims knew each other. The two victims were taken to hospitals, where they later died. Their names had not been publicly released in the reporting available Sunday.
Deputies identified the suspect early in the investigation as Christian Barrios, 32, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. Hardwick said K-9 teams tracked him onto PGA Tour property at TPC Sawgrass after the shooting. During that search, authorities said, Barrios made contact with PGA staff, picked up a radio and may have touched other items before moving on. The sheriff said the suspect later got into a dark-colored BMW that investigators linked to a burglary report from after 4 a.m.
Authorities said the case quickly expanded beyond the original crime scene. Nassau County deputies located the BMW, used a PIT maneuver to stop it and forced the vehicle into a wooded area near Callahan. Investigators said Barrios then ran on foot before he was captured shortly before 8 a.m. Saturday. AP reported the arrest came after authorities said the suspect fled north from St. Johns County into Nassau County, roughly an hour from TPC Sawgrass.
The arrest capped a tense night in a part of northeast Florida that was already crowded with visitors for The Players Championship. The Walgreens is about a mile from the course, and the search for the suspect spilled into the area around the tournament grounds. Hardwick said the suspect had a long criminal history and described him as a repeat offender who was on probation at the time of the shooting. Local follow-up reporting said Barrios was later ordered held without bond on the murder counts.
Authorities announced a wide list of charges after the arrest. In addition to two counts of first-degree murder, Barrios was accused of burglary of an occupied dwelling, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, shooting into a conveyance and grand theft of a motor vehicle. The investigation remained active through the weekend as deputies continued sorting through physical evidence and the route the suspect took after leaving the Walgreens scene.
The homicide investigation also briefly affected tournament operations. The PGA said gates for Saturday spectators would open at 9 a.m. because of operational considerations, while hospitality areas would open at 11 a.m. Even so, play began on time at 8:15 a.m. Hardwick said no one involved in the shooting was from St. Johns County, and officials later said there was no continuing threat to the broader community after the arrest.
As of Sunday, the suspect was in custody, the victims had not yet been publicly identified in the reports reviewed, and investigators had not released a fuller account of the moments just before the shooting. The next major milestones are expected to be additional court proceedings, possible release of victim identities and further details from law enforcement about the domestic violence allegations that set off the case.
Author note: Last updated March 15, 2026.