Deputies contained the gunman in an area near the courthouse at 10:37 a.m. A negotiator from the Palm Bay police was speaking with the man. Chopper 2 video showed the man pacing near the courthouse, and at least eight law enforcement officials took cover behind vehicles with their guns pointed at him. Two snipers trained guns on the suspect from the roof.
SWAT members took cover behind an armored truck and moved toward the man. He took off on foot and was killed in gunfire. It is not clear who fired the fatal shot. Ivey did not identify the man but said he had made previous threats at the courthouse. The threats didn’t rise to the level of an arrest, Ivey said.
Everyone in the courthouse was moved to the back of the building during the standoff. After the shooting, the courthouse was evacuated and closed for the day. Viera High School and Viera Charter School were also placed on lockdown, and nearby residents were told to avoid the area. Jury selection for Brandon Bradley’s high-profile murder case is in its fifth day inside the courthouse. Bradley is accused of killing Deputy Barbara Pill on March 6, 2012.
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