The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office announced this week that two individuals had been arrested after gunshots were fired at the Econo Lodge in Palm Coast. A large law enforcement presence had been noticed at the motel, which is located on Kingswood Drive, near the intersection of Old Kings Road and Palm Coast Parkway.
19-year-old James Everett and 22-year-old Steven Hyatt were both booked into the county jail on Tuesday, following the incident with the gunshots earlier that day. The Sheriff’s Office was first tipped off at around 10:45 am when a caller reported hearing two gunshots outside the motel. They told the dispatcher that a group of men were arguing, and that it had culminated in the shots being fired. That caller also said they saw multiple black men leaving the area.
Unraveling the Shooting
Deputies responded to the scene and made the conclusion that no one had been injured. Two suspects were stopped at places of business near the motel, having reportedly matched the description provided to the FCSO. The first suspect was not named in the FCSO’s report as he was not charged in the incident. He did, however, reportedly identify Orlando resident James Everett to deputies.
According to the FCSO’s report, the unnamed suspect told deputies that someone on the second floor of the motel pointed a gun at he and Everett, prompting Everett to fire two shots up at that person. He apparently told deputies that the two feared for their life and so the shots were a sort of self-defense response. The person on the balcony was wearing a ski mask, the suspect said.
Footage of the Incident
Upon reviewing surveillance footage of the incident, deputies say they saw the argument that was described by the initial caller. The man on the second floor was reportedly seen going back into his room and coming back outside with a gun. He allegedly had it in his sweatshirt pouch before drawing it. At this point, deputies say Everett pulled his gun and fired it in that man’s direction. He was apparently shown running back into his room, gun in-hand.
Detectives investigating the case made contact with the second-floor man, who turned out to be Palm Coast resident Steven Hyatt. They showed the surveillance footage to Hyatt, and according to the FCSO’s report he then told deputies that he was the figure shown in the video. He reportedly said he couldn’t remember why he’d grabbed his gun. Deputies searched the room after getting a search warrant, and discovered the gun along with ammunition underneath an inflatable mattress.
Everett and Hyatt Arrested
Hyatt was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill. He posted his $5,000 bond and was released from jail on Wednesday. Everett too was found to have acted illegally in his response, and was arrested and charged with firing into a building, evidence tampering, and resisting an officer without violence. He posted his $10,000 and was released on Thursday.
“Our patrol deputies and detectives did a great job quickly controlling the scene and detaining suspects before someone was hurt,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “This investigation is continuing to determine why individuals from Orlando were in Palm Coast and what the actual intent of the confrontation at the Econo Lodge was about. This could have been a deadly event with innocent bystanders getting hurt or killed. We thank all the callers that saw something, heard something, and said something.”
