A 24-year-old Florida man went on a shooting rampage Sunday afternoon, killing his grandfather, a Roman Catholic priest, and the priest’s sister before police killed him.
Two police officers were wounded in the shoot out with Brandon Kapas, which came after attempts to subdue him with a stun gun proved ineffectual, Palm Bay Police Chief Mario Augello said.
Officers found an arsenal of weapons and ammunition in Kapas’s vehicle, Augello said, adding it was unclear what the young man intended, according to WESH.
“Our officers’ actions yesterday prevented something even more tragic or devastating from happening, and potentially what could have been an active shooter scenario,” he said.
Police were called to a Palm Bay residents shortly after 2 p.m. on Friday when family members called to say they were having trouble with the 24-year-old. His uncle told the officers on arrival that he was armed and had more weapons in his vehicle. Kapas came out of the house, refusing to cooperate, and headed toward his vehicle. Officers fired a stun gun at him, which did nothing.
Kapas struggled with one of the officers but broke free, followed by the shoot out. Augello said one of the officers was released from the hospital on Monday and the other underwent successful surgery.
Officers found Kapas’s grandfather, 78-year-old William Kapas Sr., dead on the scene. Family members said he was visiting his sister from Kentucky for her birthday and that Brandon Kapas shot him as he was chasing after him to get him to stop.
Police found that the vehicle Kapas was driving was not registered to him, so they went to the address on the registration to speak with the owners of the vehicle. That’s when they found the Rev. Robert Hoeffner and his sister, Sally Hoeffner, shot dead.
“With great sorrow, we morn the loss of Fr. Bob Hoeffner and his sister, Sally Hoeffner. Both were beloved members of our community and a light to all of us here at campus ministry. They will be greatly missed,” Fr. Randall Meissen, director of Florida Tech Catholic Campus Ministry, said in a Facebook post.
Augello said the relationship between Brandon Kapas and the Hoeffners is unknown at the moment.
Kapas had previously been arrested last year for a DUI and reckless driving and in 2019 for another DUI and resisting arrest, WOFL reported.
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[Featured image: Brandon Kapas/Brevard County Sheriff’s Office]
