DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A fatal shooting in Daytona Beach on Friday forced a nearby children’s center to halt its after-school activities, as police worked to track down whoever was responsible.
According to Daytona Beach police, officers responded shortly before noon to the 700 block of School Street after calls came in reporting gunfire. When they arrived, they found a person who had been shot. Police said the victim died at the scene.
As of Friday night, investigators had not publicly named or identified a suspect in the Daytona Beach shooting.
The violence unfolded only a short distance from the Rose Marie Bryon Children’s Center, where more than 40 children are enrolled in an after-school program. Staff members moved quickly, notifying parents and making plans to collect the children directly from school before they could be brought to the center.
“I gave all the parents a call, telling them we would be down at the school to pick up the children from there because it was an active crime scene,” said Janet Elam-Bryant, the center’s executive director.
Elam-Bryant said the center has long been a dependable refuge for children while their parents are working. But she said ongoing violence in the surrounding neighborhood has made safety planning a constant part of daily operations.
“Often, there are things going on in the area, and we go through our routine of lockdowns,” Elam-Bryant said. “We lock down the center, lock the gates, lock the children inside.”
She said Friday’s deadly incident was particularly unsettling because it happened so close to a place meant to keep children safe.
“It’s very disheartening,” Elam-Bryant said. “It’s sickening.”
The center’s leadership is now urging the community to find ways to resolve conflicts without violence.
“We need to learn how to get along around here and stop all the violence,” Elam-Bryant said.
With no arrest made, anyone with information about the case is urged to contact Daytona Beach police.
