Two people have been arrested in connection with a fatal shooting in downtown Pensacola that left one dead and six injured.
During a news conference July 8, Pensacola Chief of Police Eric Winstrom announced the arrests of Nicholas Lilane Safford, 26, of Mobile, Alabama, and Lillian Myllicen Meyers, 25, of Pensacola.
Winstrom alleged Safford is one of three shooters who fired weapons on Intendencia Street around 1:20 a.m. during a confrontation that resulted in the death of Phillip Sheppard, 19, and the injury of six others ages 16-26.
“He is likely the first individual to fire a gun,” Winstrom said. “It’s very possible that he is the first individual to produce a gun. He’s been charged with aggravated assault because he raised the gun up, and individuals were in fear for their safety.”
Winstrom said previously that investigators believe the shooting was tied to a long-standing feud and that multiple people involved were known to each other.
Safford is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, according to jail records. He is also charged with possession of a weapon or ammo by a convicted felon and firing a weapon in public.
While Safford lives in Alabama, Winstrom said he has connections to Escambia County and is one of the individuals he mentioned at a previous press conference that has connections to “local gangs.”
“He’s not a stranger to this area or to the criminal element here,” Winstrom said.
Winstrom called on the public’s help to provide any information they may have about what occurred that night.
“We know there were a lot of individuals that were out there,” Winstrom said. “Again, it’s very important we’re able to provide answers and justice for this family.”
Winstrom asked anyone who witnessed the shooting to come forward and help provide answers “the city so desperately needs.”
Meyers is charged as an accessory after the fact and tampering with evidence. Winstrom said one of the shooters gave her a gun that was used in the shooting and she took it away from the scene.
Police have not charged anyone with murder yet, but WInstrom said the investigation is making “significant progress” as police review forensic evidence and conduct witness interviews.
Winstrom said officers are still seeking other suspects involved in the crime and reviewing downtown surveillance footage, as well as the body camera footage of more than 50 officers who were downtown late July 4 and early July 5.
“We believe that most, if not every one, of the involved individuals were down there for a significant amount of time,” Winstrom said. “So, what we have is a team of detectives that are going backward and looking at what amounts to, in the aggregate, hundreds of hours of body-worn camera video. So that we could see, for example, if an individual dons a mask at some point in time before this heinous incident, we likely have perfectly good video of them without a mask on, wearing the exact same clothes from minutes earlier.”
Winstrom said the other six people wounded in the shooting are no longer facing life-threatening injuries, but at least one of those wounded sustained a “catastrophic injury to their hand” that would likely result in a lifelong disabling injury.
“It is fortunate that no other lives were lost, but I think each one of these individuals will probably, for a very long time, suffer the consequences of this,” Winstrom said.
Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves praised the work the police department is doing on the case and the small business owners and members of the public who have come forward to provide information.
Reeves also said he spoke with Sheppard’s mother the morning of July 8 and as a “fellow parent,” it was a hard conversation to have.
“From the city side, we’ve certainly offered any assistance that the family may need in the days ahead,” Reeves said. “And I spoke with their family, and we offered our prayers and condolences and any assistance.”
Anyone with information on the shooting is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 850-433-STOP, or call toll-free at 877-433-TIPS or use the Gulf Coast Crime Stoppers P3Tips app for IOS and Android phones.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Two arrested in Pensacola shooting that killed one, injured six
Reporting by Jim Little, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jim Little, Pensacola News Journal | USA TODAY Network
