A complaint about loud music on Florida’s east coast on Monday devolved into a hours-long standoff and shootout with police — and the suspect, a 53-year-old woman dead.
The Palm Bay Police Department said it was called just before 4 p.m. and again just after “regarding a disturbance involving gunshots.” Responding officers were met with gunfire as they set up a perimeter and made phone contact with the suspect inside the house. After several more incidents of gunfire, some with return fire from officers, police found the woman dead inside the the home.
In a more detailed summary of the incident provided to Space Coast Daily, police said they had been initially called to the home an hour before the shots fired call and again 40 minutes after the first call. Those calls were about loud music. Officers were en route to the area about 15 minutes after the second loud music call when the calls about shots fired began coming in.
The shooter was identified as Kamla Grimmer, who is an native of Florida and an American citizen.
Police said they “established a contact team and began making announcements via their vehicle’s public address system,” and at about 4:15 p.m. Grimmer began firing from the back of her home toward the canal, where officers were engaged in setting up a perimeter. Police did not return fire, and they sent out a “reverse 911” call asking residents in the area to shelter in place.
Officers made phone contact with Grimmer just after 4:30 p.m. Ten minutes later, she opened the front door, fired some shots, and went back inside. Police activated a SWAT team, again did not return fire, and reestablished phone contact with the woman.
At about 10 minutes after 6 p.m., Grimmer fired toward a SWAT team, who this time returned fire. She retreated into the home, and SWAT deployed gas into the home about 5 minutes later.
During this time, negotiators maintained phone contact with Grimmer.
SWAT fired more gas into the home at 6:53, and at 7:08, Grimmer again opened fire officers, who again returned fire. Shortly afterward, police sent a drone into the home and saw Grimmer “immobile.” Police and medics entered the home at 7:17 p.m., and found Grimmer dead.
“The preliminary investigation suggests the female was deceased by return fire from our officers,” police told Space Coast Daily. “The officers involved are on paid administrative leave.”
“Our officers attempted every scenario possible to avoid a loss of life and showed great restraint during this incident,” Palm Bay Police Chief Mariano Augello said. “Unfortunately, after their lives, as well as those in our community were placed in immediate threat of deadly force by active gunfire, they were left with no other option but to return fire.”
Police said no officers were hurt during the incident, and they debunked social media rumors that a hostage was involved. They also said there was “no substantial history” that would have led them to expect such an incident.
They did not speculate on a motive for the shooting. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is conducting an investigation into the shooting, assisted by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.<
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[Featured image: SWAT shooter behind Kamla Grimmer’s home in Palm Bay, Florida/Florida Today screenshot]