A man has been detained after two people were fatally shot near the area where the Florida PGA tour is taking place.
According to the Associated Press, the suspect shot two people in the parking lot of a Walgreens one mile away from the TPC Sawgrass at around 10:30pm on Friday, March 13. The golf course is currently home to "The Players Championship". St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick referred to the tragedy as a "domestic violence situation". Authorities have identified the suspect as Christian Barrios.
While the shots were fired on Friday, Barrios was not detained until 8am on Saturday, March 14. He was captured in Nassau County, Florida. The man managed to flee from TPC Sawgrass to the northeastern county, about an hour's journey.
The tragic attack has led to a delay in the starting of the PGA Tour. The PGA itself released a statement that said "operational considerations" led to a delay in opening the gates. While the first round of golf began on schedule, starting at 8:15am, the gates didn't open until 9am. As well as this, the hospitality areas didn't open till 11am.
Videos by Wide Open Country
The Suspect Fled Onto the TPC Sawgrass
Robert Hardwick said that the suspect ended up fleeing onto the TPC Sawgrass golf course itself. Barrios was being chased by canine units at the time of the trespass. The suspect then proceeded to steal a black BMW and flee north to Nassau County before crashing the vehicle in the woods. He was then pursued on foot before being taken into custody.
According to Sky Sports, Barrios was known to the victims. In a press conference, Hardwick said, "Two individuals were shot multiple times. Both of those individuals were transported [to the hospital] and have succumbed to their injuries."
It also turns out that Barrios may have picked up a PGA Tour radio somewhere along the way. "We know he made contact with some employees in [the TPC Sawgrass]... He picked up - we believe it was a radio that belonged to the PGA Tour, not one of our radios... our canines used it as a scent when they came in there."
We hope that justice is swiftly served.
