(TargetDailyNews.com) – A 24-year-old Florida man killed his grandfather, a retired priest, and the priest’s sister on January 29th, Palm Bay police have reported. But before he killed these three, Brandon Kapas got into a shootout with police and injured them with gunfire before the officers shot him dead.
Police say they were called to a house on Sunday afternoon where a birthday party was taking place. When they arrived, an unnamed uncle of Kapas told police that Kapas was behaving strangely. He apparently refused to discuss this with the police and walked quickly out of the home. The uncle told police his nephew had a cache of weapons in his car, and one of the officers tried unsuccessfully to stop Kapas with a taser shot.
A physical fight between Kapas and the officer ensued, but Kapas escaped the cop’s attempts to restrain him and started shooting. It was then that a bullet struck and killed Kapas’ grandfather, William Kapas Sr., 78.
Palm Bay Police Chief Mariano Augello told reporters that his officers acted in line with their training and stopped a dangerous man who posed a threat to people living in the area.
Though details are not yet clear, law enforcement officials said Brandon Kapas had already killed two people before arriving at the birthday party. Police were investigating Brandon Kapas’ vehicle and subsequently discovered the bodies of 76-year-old retired priest Robert John Hoeffner, and Sally Joan Hoeffner, 69, his sister, at a house not far from the home where the shootout took place.
Police did find what they described as an “arsenal” of weapons in the vehicle Kapas was using, but that the vehicle was registered to a third party.
Investigators say they don’t know the relationship between Kapas and Hoeffners, and they don’t know what may have motivated the murders.
The officers shot and injured by Kapas were Palm Bay cops Stephen Ball and Nicholas Franze.
In a statement, the Palm Bay Police Department said their “thoughts and prayers” were with the officers’ families and the families of the other victims affected by the shooting and murders. The department said Ball and Franze are expected to make full recoveries.
The investigation will continue.
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