Investigators say the violence began at an apartment complex, left one man dead, wounded four others and ended with a stolen truck found in St. Lucie County.
RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. — Police say a Monday evening shooting at the Azure Estates community in Riviera Beach turned into a multi-scene rampage that killed one man, wounded four others and ended after the suspect fled in a stolen pickup and was captured along Interstate 95.
The case drew wide attention this week because investigators described a fast-moving chain of violence that began in a residential complex and spilled into nearby streets during an attempted escape. By Wednesday and Thursday, police updates, an arrest report and the suspect’s first court appearance had added names, a rough timeline and a clearer look at the charges against 20-year-old Terrell Gibson, who is now being held without bond.
According to Riviera Beach police, the shooting began just after 6:15 p.m. Monday inside the Azure Estates community along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Chief Michael Coleman said Gibson, who was visiting a friend there, told investigators he felt harassed before the gunfire started. The probable cause account says a group of men had been gathered outside when Gibson suddenly pulled a handgun and shot Dillon Wright in the head at close range. Investigators said John Richard Halliburton III then stepped in and struggled with Gibson, but Halliburton was shot several times and died at the scene. Police said the shooting did not end there. As people ran, more gunfire followed through the complex and then into the street as Gibson tried to get away.
Detectives said the attempted escape became another violent stretch of the case. Police said Gibson ran onto Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, tried to steal vehicles and shot additional victims during that effort. James Easley was among those struck, according to investigators, and community members identified him as a pastor from Life Center Church in Riviera Beach. Authorities said Easley was taken to St. Mary’s Medical Center after being shot multiple times. Two other men, Anthony Evans and Charles Daniels, also were shot and later got themselves to a hospital with wounds to their hands and arms. A sixth victim, Rommel Cajina Lira, was not shot but was forced out of a black Chevrolet Silverado at gunpoint, police said. Gibson then drove off in that truck and headed north.
Police later traced the stolen pickup to the Interstate 95 corridor, and authorities said Gibson was arrested Monday night in St. Lucie County after Florida Highway Patrol located the vehicle near Vero Beach. Coleman said investigators recovered the handgun and ammunition they believe were used in the attack. In a briefing, the chief said the weapon had an extended magazine and described it as carrying multiple rounds. ShotSpotter technology detected about 18 rounds fired near the start of the shooting, according to the affidavit cited in local reporting. Those details helped authorities describe the case as more than a single burst of gunfire at one scene. Instead, they say it was a moving series of shootings tied together by the same suspect, weapon and attempted flight.
Investigators also offered a possible explanation for Gibson’s actions, though they have not said that it changes the criminal allegations. Coleman told reporters that Gibson appeared to be in a mental health crisis and had described hearing voices or spirits telling him to kill “demons.” In court the next day, Gibson made similar claims, saying he saw things other people could not see. He also made statements that appeared to admit the shootings. Still, the legal case remains grounded in the charges filed so far: first-degree murder, four counts of attempted first-degree murder and carjacking with a firearm. The judge ordered him held without bond and entered no-contact orders to protect victims, witnesses and relatives of the man who was killed. Any competency issue would have to be handled later through formal motions and evaluations.
The names attached to the case have given the violence a sharper human toll. Halliburton was 25, and his mother, Curtisa Brown, told local reporters that he had recently become a father to a one-month-old daughter. Brown said her son was working and had plans to return from vacation. Easley’s identification as a local pastor also deepened community concern, especially because police said the shooting moved from a private gathering into a public roadway where other drivers became part of the danger. What remains unclear is exactly what set Gibson off in the moments before the first shot, whether every victim knew one another and what evidence prosecutors will present about planning, motive and mental state once the case moves deeper into court.
As of Thursday, Gibson remained jailed without bond while investigators and prosecutors continued assembling witness statements, medical records, ballistic evidence and video. The next major step is expected to be another court proceeding as the Palm Beach County case advances.
Author note: Last updated March 19, 2026.