This is the official press conference held by Chief Michael Coleman (Riviera Beach Police Department) on March 17, 2026 (one day after the incident), providing further details about the suspect in the same Azure Estates shooting we previously discussed (with his shocking confession in court).
Details from the police:
Suspect: Tramonte Terrell Gibson (or Terrell Gibson), 20 years old, residing in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Motive: Gibson was visiting a friend at the Azure Estates apartment complex (near Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard). He felt harᴀssed and told investigators that he heard voices/spirits in his head.
Chief Coleman quotes the suspect: “The spirits told him to kill the demons, at which time, he sH๏τ the people that was in front of him.”
(The spirits told him to kill the devil, and at that moment he sH๏τ the people in front of him.)
According to the police:
Around 6:15 p.m. Monday (March 16-17, 2026): Gibson suddenly pulled out a gun and sH๏τ people around him in the apartment complex.
He then ran onto Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, attempted to carjack several vehicles, sH๏τ more victims, and finally stole an SUV to escape.
A total of 5 people were sH๏τ within minutes:
– 1 person died on the spot: John Richard Haliburton III (25 years old) – Gibson’s cousin.
– 4 people were injured (2 critically, 2 with minor injuries). Among them was a pastor from Life Center Church.
Weapon: Handgun with an extended magazine (tumbler magazine) containing 30-40 rounds. Police displayed pH๏τos of the gun and ammunition at the press conference.
Arrest: Gibson was apprehended by Florida Highway Patrol on I-95 in St. Lucie County that same evening. No resistance.
Charges & Status:
First-degree murder.
Multiple charges of attempted first-degree murder.
Armed carjacking.
Held without bond and will undergo a mental health evaluation.
Reaction:
Chief Coleman emphasized that this is clearly a serious mental health crisis.
The incident has shocked the Riviera Beach and Palm Beach County communities due to its sudden violence and involvement of “voices in his head.”
Video:
