INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A 20-year-old man arrested in connection with a Monday motel shooting that left another man dead told deputies that the victim robbed his girlfriend of $3,000 last weekend, authorities said. The victim early Monday told deputies “Jordan Dawkins shot him,” an arrest report shows.
“It was a revenge robbery,” said Sheriff’s spokesman Maj. Eric Flowers. “The victim had robbed the suspect recently and this was a return robbery to get revenge.”
Jail records identified the victim as 44-year-old Jayton Knowles, of Gainesville.
Jordan Dawkins
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY INDIAN RIVER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Deputies on Monday night charged Jordan Dawkins, of the 4800 block of 29th Avenue, Gifford, with first-degree murder. He is being held at the Indian River County Jail without bond. Deputies already were searching for Dawkins as a person of interest in connection with the fatal shooting.
The incident is the second fatal shooting to happen in the county within less than a week, deputies said.
Deputies responded to the gunfire about 7:35 a.m. Monday at Motel 6 in the 8800 block of 20th Street, Flowers said. The motel is adjacent to an IHOP restaurant, located east of Interstate 95 in the western part of the county.
Deputies were informed that a man, later identified as Knowles, went into the diner complaining of a gunshot wound to the chest, an arrest report shows. Knowles was flown to a trauma center and died three hours later.
Officials recovered two shell casings from the crime scene, deputies said. Evidence markers and drops of blood could be seen on the walkway that extends to the front lobby.
Deputies found Dawkins later on and spoke with him at the Sheriff’s Office.
Dawkins told deputies Knowles had robbed his girlfriend on March 31 and then struck Dawkins across the face with a firearm, an arrest report shows. He said he went to the Motel 6 early Monday because he suspected Knowles might be there.
Dawkins said he brought a firearm so he could rob Knowles. He told deputies he approached Knowles after seeing him leave a room. The two got into a scuffle when “the firearm went off,” striking Knowles in the chest, an arrest report shows.
Dawkins said he then fled from the scene in a silver vehicle. Both Dawkins and Knowles have previous arrests with the Sheriff’s Office that include a variety of charges such as battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest and possession of marijuana.
This story will be updated.