LiveNOW from FOX correspondent Josh Breslow said a “developing story” out of Orange County, Florida took a violent turn when deputies trying to serve a DNA search warrant ended up in a late-night exchange of gunfire. Breslow framed it as a case that started with a homicide investigation from Christmas Eve, then suddenly became a deputy-involved shooting just days later.
Breslow told viewers the incident happened while deputies were attempting to collect DNA evidence from a suspect tied to a Christmas Eve “homicide” case. Instead of a quiet warrant service, he said deputies found themselves under fire, forcing them to respond in seconds.
WESH 2 reporter Tony Atkins described the same moment in blunt terms: deputies arrived to confront a homicide suspect because they needed a DNA sample, but investigators say another person with the suspect opened fire first.
Atkins stressed how quickly it escalated, calling it a confrontation that “forced deputies to open fire.”
Sheriff John Mina’s Account From The Scene
In a brief press conference carried by both outlets, Orange County Sheriff John Mina said deputies were at the Buchanan Bay Apartments trying to locate a suspect from a homicide that “just happened on Christmas Eve.”
Mina explained they were there to serve a DNA warrant, which is often a critical step when investigators want to strengthen a case with forensic evidence.
Mina said deputies located two men at the apartment complex: the homicide suspect and another man. As soon as deputies exited their vehicle, Mina said, “this other man opened fire” and struck one of the sheriff’s office vehicles.
Mina’s description was direct: a deputy returned fire and struck the shooter, whom he initially called a 20-year-old. Mina said deputies then approached, secured the firearm, and rendered first aid until paramedics arrived, adding that the shooter was taken to the hospital and was undergoing surgery.
During the same briefing, Mina also said the homicide suspect was armed with a handgun but did not fire at deputies. Mina said that suspect was detained and questioned by detectives.
Atkins added another detail from the investigation side, saying deputies believed the homicide suspect tried running back into the residence before he was detained. His reporting matched Mina’s larger point: deputies ended the threat without any of their own being injured, even though a vehicle was hit and rounds were fired.
One detail that stood out was the age. While Mina described the shooter as a 20-year-old in the key portion of his remarks, he also appeared to correct the number later, saying the shooter was 19, after a question from reporters.
Even with that minor confusion, both Josh Breslow and Tony Atkins consistently described the shooter as a young adult who was not the homicide suspect, but was with him when deputies arrived.
What Investigators Say About The Christmas Eve Homicide Case
Josh Breslow told viewers the deputies’ original mission that night was tied to a Christmas Eve shooting on PGA Boulevard. He called it a search for a Christmas Eve shooting suspect that led to a deputy-involved shooting only days later, with investigators now handling two connected but distinct tracks: the earlier homicide case and the shooting that happened during the DNA warrant service.
Breslow said the homicide victim was 17-year-old Jamar Jerome, who he reported was shot and killed. He referenced the location as 5525 PGA Boulevard, describing it as a case deputies were still actively working while much of the community was focused on the holidays.
Tony Atkins, reporting for WESH 2, added more context from the neighborhood side, saying the 17-year-old was shot “in broad daylight” at the Greens Condominiums on PGA Boulevard, and that the shooting forced residents out of their homes for hours.
Atkins also included a reaction from someone he identified in his report, who said, “Christmas is all about family, and gifts and love,” and that the killing was “horrible,” a simple statement that captured how out of place a homicide feels during a holiday week.
Both Breslow and Atkins kept returning to the same core fact from Sheriff Mina: deputies were not at the apartment complex for a random stop. They were there to contact a homicide suspect and serve a DNA warrant, and it was the presence of an armed second man that created the sudden shootout.
That matters because it explains why this incident is getting so much attention. A lot of people hear “DNA warrant” and picture paperwork and swabs, not gunfire, but Mina’s point was that there is no such thing as a safe day to contact a homicide suspect.
The goal may be evidence, but the risk is always the same: weapons, panic, and split-second decisions.
How The Deputy-Involved Shooting Will Be Reviewed
Sheriff Mina laid out the next steps in a way that sounded practiced, because this is the standard pathway after a shooting involving law enforcement. Mina said there is body-worn camera video, that he reviewed it, and that it would be released within 30 days, consistent with how his office handles these cases.
Mina said the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will investigate and then turn its findings over to the State Attorney’s Office. After that review is completed, Mina said the sheriff’s office would conduct its own internal investigation.
WESH 2 reporter Tony Atkins also reported that the deputy who fired was placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the FDLE investigation.
That detail is important because it’s often misunderstood; being placed on leave in cases like this is typically a routine step while outside investigators review evidence, interviews, and video.
Both outlets emphasized that no deputies were injured, even though Mina said the shooter’s gunfire struck a vehicle. Breslow mentioned forensic teams at the scene and described crews working for hours, reinforcing that this is being treated as a serious, active investigation with evidence collection underway.
A Holiday Week Reminder About What Policing Actually Looks Like
Sheriff Mina made a point that sounded less like a soundbite and more like a message he wanted families to hear.
He told reporters that while many people are home enjoying the holidays, deputies and detectives are still working to bring justice to families dealing with homicide, and that “the pursuit of justice doesn’t stop during the holidays.”
Mina also called the work “extremely dangerous,” especially when deputies are contacting a homicide suspect, and he said he was proud of the deputies’ courage and bravery.
He framed it as a public safety layer people don’t always see: the part where law enforcement is knocking on the door of the worst kind of suspect, at the worst time of year, while everyone else is focused on celebrations.
There’s also a hard truth sitting under this story that’s easy to miss if you only look at the headlines. A DNA warrant sounds clinical, like it’s just another step in a case file, but what Mina, Breslow, and Atkins all showed in different ways is that even “evidence work” can turn into a gunfight when armed people are involved and fear takes over.
And if you zoom out, the timing makes it feel even sharper. You have a Christmas Eve homicide, then deputies chasing leads and trying to lock down DNA evidence days later, and then a second burst of violence – this time directed at law enforcement – before the community has even had time to breathe. It’s a reminder that for victims’ families, the calendar doesn’t matter, and for investigators, neither do holidays.
By the end of the reports, the basic outline was clear across both sources: Josh Breslow said deputies went to serve a DNA warrant in a homicide case, Sheriff John Mina said a second man opened fire and was shot after a deputy returned fire, and Tony Atkins said both the homicide suspect and the alleged shooter ended up in custody as investigators continued working the original Christmas Eve case.
The next answers – exact charges, the shooter’s condition, and what the body camera shows – will come later, after the review process Mina described plays out.
Raised in a small Arizona town, Kevin grew up surrounded by rugged desert landscapes and a family of hunters. His background in competitive shooting and firearms training has made him an authority on self-defense and gun safety. A certified firearms instructor, Kevin teaches others how to properly handle and maintain their weapons, whether for hunting, home defense, or survival situations. His writing focuses on responsible gun ownership, marksmanship, and the role of firearms in personal preparedness.
