An elderly couple is dead, and a young woman is recovering after a tragic shooting unfolded in a quiet West Melbourne neighborhood Wednesday evening. The couple’s 22-year-old grandson, Jeremyah Campbell, has been arrested and charged in the fatal attack.
Authorities from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home near the intersection of Washington Street and Milwaukee Avenue around 8 p.m. following multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire.
According to investigators, 83-year-old George White fled to his neighbor Terry French’s home after his 81-year-old wife, Mary White, was shot inside their residence. George, wounded and seeking help, alerted the French to the unfolding violence.
“George was standing here inside the door, and we had it locked so nobody could get in,” French told local reporters. “Somebody over in this area, I think, had a 9-millimeter, and he put these holes in the door.”
Deputies say Campbell followed his grandfather to the neighbor’s house and fired multiple rounds into the home. George White and French’s 25-year-old granddaughter, who was inside calling 911, was both struck.
“I think that one there is what got George,” French said, pointing to a bullet hole. “Then he went into the bathroom, you see the bathroom there, shut the door, and that was it.”
Mary White was found deceased inside her home. George White later succumbed to his injuries. The 25-year-old woman who was shot remains hospitalized and is expected to recover, according to local NBC affiliate WESH.
Witnesses described the scene as terrifying. “Five gunshots, a pause, then the last one,” recalled neighbor Shea Stewart. “Then, I heard the scream of a woman.” Authorities say the motive for the shooting remains unclear. Public Information Officer Tod Goodyear said the initial violence began inside the White residence.
“At this point, we believe the initial event occurred inside the residence, and we do not know exactly why that occurred and what led up to it,” Goodyear stated.
Campbell, originally from Texas, had reportedly been staying at his grandparents’ West Melbourne home for the past five days. Family members are reportedly baffled by his sudden appearance and violent actions.
French, still reeling from the loss of his neighbors, described the Whites as model citizens. “George and Mary, to me, were probably some of the best neighbors I ever had,” he said. “He’d do anything for you.”
Jeremyah Campbell faces two counts of second-degree murder, one count of attempted second-degree murder, and a charge of shooting into an occupied residence. He is being held without bond and is scheduled to appear in court Friday afternoon.