BRADENTON, Fla. — A man in Manatee County responsible for tracking down and killing three women is dead after exchanging gunfire with deputies as he tried to cross the state line, the sheriff said.
It started Monday night at an apartment complex in Palmetto, Sheriff Rick Wells said at a news conference Tuesday morning. Javontee Brice, 28, reportedly went to the apartment where his sister and one of his ex-girlfriends, also the mother of one of his kids, were.
Brice reportedly said he needed to kill the ex-girlfriend, Wells said. However, the sheriff detailed that Brice's sister was somehow able to convince him not to go through with killing his ex.
The night didn't end there, however. Shortly after 9:15 p.m., Wells said Brice went to the Motel 6 on 67th Street Circle East in Bradenton. His mother, her boyfriend and two of Brice's young sisters were staying there, Wells explained.
Brice went into the room and reportedly told his mother, "I'm sorry."
"What did you do?" replied his mother, 48-year-old Titimysha Scott. That's when Brice took out a gun and shot Scott three times, Wells said.
Brice left immediately after that and Manatee County Sheriff's deputies and first responders arrived at the motel minutes after getting the 911 call. His mother was dead, but the others inside the room survived, Wells said.
His motive? Unknown, the sheriff said. Brice wasn't done with his killing spree, however, the sheriff continued.
Less than a half hour later, around 9:40 p.m., one of Brice's cousins was leaving a family cookout on 26th Street Court East near 9th Avenue Drive East in Palmetto and getting into her SUV. The sheriff said Brice went up to his 29-year-old cousin, identified as Sacouya Starquez Jonquila Brice, and shot her inside her car. She died about an hour later despite live-saving measures from first responders.
Just after 10 p.m., Wells said deputies got word of another shooting in Bradenton. The sheriff says Brice went to a home on 51st Street, where another one of his ex-girlfriends was living with her new partner. When he got there, Wells said Brice shot his ex-girlfriend's partner, 31-year-old Charel Carter, and left. The woman later died at the hospital.
A statewide BOLO was issued for Brice's car and multiple law enforcement agencies came together to track Brice to Hamilton County, not far from the Florida/Georgia state line, the sheriff's office said.
Hamilton County Sheriff's Office deputies confirmed they located Brice's car driving around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday on Interstate 75. Deputies reportedly followed it to a closed service station where Brice got out of the car and started shooting at deputies.
Returning fire, deputies shot and killed Brice.
Wells confirmed a woman was inside Brice's car at the time of the shooting and ran away from the gunfire exchange. Deputies reportedly found the woman and are speaking with her. She is not facing charges at this time, Wells said.
Detectives said they believe Brice was driving to Georgia with intent to kill a fourth person.
Brice appeared to have made posts on social media last night. One post read, "Pig I love you but you had to go." Another post tagged who appeared to be his cousin.
Wells said the social media posts may play well into learning more about the motive.
Brice has had a history of domestic battery in the past. A 2023 police report accuses him of striking a woman in the face and later strangling her. In 2021, a detective petitioned for a risk protection order stating Brice posed a danger to himself or others.
"We need to take this crime seriously," Murphy, president of The Spring of Tampa Bay, an organization supporting domestic violence survivors, said.
Murphy said it's important for survivors to know resources for help are always available.
"This is not your fault," she said. "There are services available."
Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis is urged to reach out for help. You can contact the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay at 211 or call 911. The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached 24/7 at 800-799-7233. Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis can contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.