A suspect is dead, one person is in custody, and another suspect is on the run after a deputy-involved shooting in Starke Tuesday, according to the Bradford County Sheriff's Office (BCSO). The deceased suspect, 19-year-old Devaughdre' Rogers, was a close friend to BCSO Sheriff Gordon Smith.
"He grew up with my son, my daughter, spent lots of time at my house," Smith said during a press conference. "Fishing, playing ball, a great athlete. It touched home."
Smith says his undersheriff was Rogers' mentor as a child.
"I don't know what happened in his later teenage years," said Smith. "He has a great mother. I just ... My heart goes out to the family and the people in the community he's touched."
The conflict began Monday night when BCSO says they responded to reports of shots being fired into an occupied residence and unoccupied vehicle in Starke's Lincoln City area. Officers said at least two subjects used a rifle to fire rounds into the bedroom of Adrian Perry, who was not home, suggesting Perry may have been the target.
Deputies stayed at the crime scene until around 8 a.m. Tuesday.
The car's driver, Jaylon Tyson Hankerson, was taken into custody and a third suspect, who has yet to be identified, fled on foot from the RJE Center.
No deputies were hurt during the incident.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement was notified about the incident and will lead the investigation.