Circle K worker Eduardo Labrada Machado picked up the Glock pistol he used to kill an off-duty Edgewater police officer just two hours before shooting the officer multiple times inside the store in Ormond-By-The-Sea, according to Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood.
Machado paid $729 for the Glock model 20 10 mm pistol at Buck’s Gun Rack in Daytona Beach at 2 p.m. on Sept. 5, Chitwood said. Machado had to wait by law three days to get the gun.
Chitwood said Machado picked up the gun at 2 p.m. on Sept. 15.
“Two hours and four minutes later, firing 24 shots — two clips — into off-duty Police Officer David Jewell, assassinating him on the spot,” Chitwood said.
“To watch the evil and the calculatedness of what he did to Officer Jewell, you cannot describe it. To unload, stop reload and then just go right back at it again and fire additional shots again, we are talking 24 shots from probably 1 or 2 feet away,” Chitwood said.
Chitwood said Machado shot Jewell in his face and neck area.
“That gun was bought for one purpose and one purpose alone. That gun was bought to assassinate Police Officer Jewell for whatever reason this guy was thinking,” Chitwood said.
Chitwood said some of Machado’s family members have said he was diagnosed as bi-polar and “other stuff” and was allegedly being treated by “TeleMed,” and was allegedly on medication, but the sheriff’s office has not confirmed that.
Chitwood said the sheriff’s office has one of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) forms Machado was required to fill out to purchase the gun.
Chitwood said one of the forms asked “Have you ever been adjudicated as a mental defective or have you ever been committed to a mental institution?”
Machado checked “no,” Chitwood said.
Chitwood said there was nothing to indicate that Machado had lied on the form.
He said that in 2023 Machado received a notice to appear for shooting at Tomoka State Park. He had a handgun and a rifle but the sheriff’s office does not know where the firearms are and they are assuming they were turned over to the family.
Jewell was unarmed yesterday and his family said when he is not working he does not carry a gun, Chitwood said.
Jewell, his wife and her father all lived in the same house near the Circle K. Her father called and said something was going on at the Circle K and that he believed Machado was involved, because he was in the parking lot taking his shirt off.
Jewell’s wife, a former sheriff’s office dispatcher, turned on the police radio.
“She heard who it was she knows her husband was pronounced dead at the scene,” Chitwood said.
Jewell had a 17-year-old son.
Circle K worker ordered held without bond
Machado stood before a judge on Sept. 16 and appeared to nod his head as his assistant public defender said Machado had no prior criminal record.
Machado, 24, is now charged with first-degree premeditated murder in Jewell’s killing.
Assistant Public Defender Richard Lawhorn had asked the judge to set a $1 million bond for Jewell with the conditions he be monitored by GPS and be barred from having any weapons. Lawhorn cited Machado’s lack of a criminal record, particularly no violent crimes.
The prosecutor opposed setting a bond and Volusia County Court Judge Bryan Feigenbaum ordered Machado held without bond.
Machado, who wore an orange jail jumpsuit with his hands cuffed behind him, then walked out of the courthouse at the Volusia County Branch Jail to return to a cell.
Off-duty Edgewater Police officer stopped at Circle K for father-in-law
Jewell had picked up his father-in-law at an emergency room and was driving him home. But Jewell stopped at the Circle K at Wisteria Drive and Ocean Shore Boulevard to buy some food. The father-in-law told deputies that Jewell went into the store to get him a Polar Pop.
The father-in-law goes to the Circle K “multiple times a day” and identified Machado by name, the affidavit stated.
Jewell entered the store at about 4:04 p.m. on Sept. 15, according to the charging affidavit. About a minute later, Machado walked out of the store, walked to his white Kia and took something that looked like a black jacket from the passenger area.
Jewell was standing at the front counter with food and a drink. The store’s surveillance camera recorded Jewell as he turned to look at the front door about 4:06 p.m. when Machado was walking back into the store.
Immediately upon entering the store, Machado shot Jewell in the face from “point blank range” less than 5 feet away, the affidavit stated.
There were no words exchanged between the two before Machado opened fire.
Machado shot Jewell about eight to 10 times, the affidavit stated.
Circle K worker stood over Jewell and shot him multiple times
Machado stood over Jewell, who was face up on the floor.
He shot him about 16 more times, the affidavit stated.
Machado walked out of the store.
Jewell’s father-in-law saw him walk out without a shirt after Jewell had been in the store “multiple minutes.”
Ormond Beach Police arrested Machado about 4:19 p.m. at Briggs and John Anderson drives.
Volusia Sheriff’s Office detectives questioned Machado, who admitted to shooting someone in the store, the affidavit stated. But Machado said he did not know the man’s name.
Machado said he had seen Jewell 15-20 times at the store and believed he had argued with him “a while back.”
Machado said he had been scared during the argument because he saw Jewell had a firearm, the affidavit stated. But Machado could not remember what the dispute was about or when it took place.
Machado said he was not scared of Jewell on Sept. 15 and “mentioned having a rough start to his drive to work.”
Machado said “he had thought about this person and even thought about shooting him. He stated that the thought had left his mind, and he continued to travel to work,” the affidavit stated.
He said when Jewell walked in, he went to his car and got the coat. A Glock 20 and a magazine with 10mm bullets were in the coat’s pockets, the affidavit stated.
“Eduardo advised he walked into the store, did not say anything to the person and shot him,” the affidavit stated.
“Eduardo stated he knew what he did was wrong and that’s why he walked away from the scene after he shot the person,” the affidavit stated.
A second Circle K worker had been in the restroom and when he came out he thought someone had targetted the store, so he wanted to get away. But then he called 911.
Investigators found Machado’s Glock in a black jacket in the Kia’s backseat.
Machado’s aunt says he never mentioned a problem with anyone
Machado lives in Ormond Beach. A woman who answered the door at his house and described herself as his aunt said that he had mental problems.
She said she was unaware he had a gun. She also said that Machado had not mentioned having any problems with Jewell or anyone else at the Circle K.
She said Machado attended Seabreeze High School. She said he was quiet and spent his time playing video games and went from home to work and back.
She said she and other family members were stunned when they learned what he was accused of.
“I don’t know what happened, whether he had some hallucination and thought it was someone else,” she said.
City has GoFundMe for slain Edgewater officer
Interim Edgewater City Manager Joe Mahoney, who is also Edgewater’s former police chief, also spoke during the Sept. 16 press conference. Mahoney said he swore Jewell in as a new police officer in 2023.
“He was truly a great police officer and a better person. He was the individual that would smile every morning,” Mahoney said. “… he was that cordial guy. He always went above and beyond to do the small things in the community. He’s the guy that would be helping the disabled vehicle and going above and beyond to really show that we care and he cares for our community.
“He didn’t deserve to die in this cowardly act,” Mahoney said. “It’s really disgusting. It’s been a tough almost 24 hours for the Edgewater community.”
“But you know we take away that title of officer — he’s a human, he’s a father, he’s a husband. He’s a son. We have to remember that that outside the uniform these police officers are people” Mahoney said.
The Edgewater Police Department has a GoFundMe set up to help Jewell’s family on its social media.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Circle K worker accused of killing Edgewater cop picked up gun just 2 hours earlier
Reporting by Frank Fernandez, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
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