INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The Indian River County Sheriff’s Office is investigating two separate and unrelated shootings that resulted in the death of one man and the injury of another Saturday.
The first, fatal shooting occurred around 1:20 a.m. Saturday at the home of the victim’s brother in the 1900 block of 38th Lane in Vero Beach. The victim, identified as 29-year-old John Ross, was transported to the Indian River Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Ross suffered at least one gunshot wound. An autopsy has been scheduled for Monday, April 1.
The Sheriff’s Office has named Ross’s brother, 24-year-old Scott Collins, as a person of interest in the shooting and has been interviewed by detectives. Collins has not been charged in the shooting but has been arrested for cocaine possession after a search warrant yielded a small baggie containing about 1 gram of cocaine in his bedroom.
The search warrant also led to the discovery of a firearm in the home. Investigators are waiting on a forensic examination to determine whether it was used to shoot Ross.
The second shooting Saturday occurred near the 3400 block of 45th Street in Gifford, shortly before 6 p.m. The victim, a male, has not yet been identified. He was flown from the Indian River Medical Center to the Lawnwood Regional Trauma Center for treatment.
The Sheriff’s Office did not release details of the man’s injuries.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the victim is believed to have been in the yard of a home near the corner of 34th Court and 45th Street at the time of the shooting. He was then driven to the hospital in a private vehicle. The identity of the driver was not released.
The Sheriff’s Office does not believe the two shootings to be related.