Motel 6 shooting: Jordan Dawkins charged with first-degree murder of Jayton Knowles

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A 20-year-old man was charged with shooting and killing a man Monday at the Motel 6 near Interstate 95's Vero Beach exit, according to the Indian River County Sheriff's Office.

Jordan Roderick-Bryant Dawkins, of the 4800 block of 29th Avenue, was charged with first-degree murder, jail records show.

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Dawkins is accused of shooting Jayton Knowles, a 44-year-old Indian River County man, in the chest. Knowles died at the hospital from his wound.

First-degree murder indicates a killing that was premeditated and intentional. It can be punishable by death in Florida.

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Someone called 911 after Knowles came into the IHOP attached to the motel about 7:35 a.m., Dawkins' arrest affidavit said.

Knowles was complaining of a gunshot wound. He told 911 dispatchers and the first deputy on scene that Jordan Dawkins had shot him, according to the affidavit.

Knowles was airlifted to Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute in Fort Pierce from the motel, 8800 20th St. He died within three hours, the affidavit said.

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Dawkins was voluntarily interviewed at the Sheriff's Office Monday night. He told investigators Knowles had on Saturday robbed Dawkins' girlfriend of $3,000 and hit Dawkins in the face with a gun.

Dawkins said he went to the motel Monday to take money from Knowles, bringing a handgun with him.

"Dawkins waited at Motel 6, where he suspected he would see Knowles," the affidavit said.

Dawkins said when he saw Knowles walking outside, he exited his vehicle and approached him.

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"Dawkins told (a detective) he had a firearm in his hand and he was 'tussling' with Knowles when the firearm went off," according to the affidavit.

Dawkins fled the scene with the gun, the affidavit said. Detectives recovered two bullet casings from the scene, but officials would not say how many times Knowles was shot.

Maj. Eric Flowers, spokesman for the Indian River County Sheriff's Office, also declined to comment on the caliber of weapon Dawkins used or whether it had been recovered.

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It was the second fatal shooting in the county in five days, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Marcel Peterson, 26, of Indian River County, died Wednesday after being shot about 2 a.m. in Gifford, deputies reported. That shooting was thought to be the result of an argument between two men.

Although Flowers said a "person of interest" was identified, no charges have been filed in that case.

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Dawkins remained Tuesday in the Indian River County Jail without bail. An arraignment was scheduled for May 9.

Dawkins only prior criminal charge was for misdemeanor possession of marijuana in Vero Beach in December 2016, when he was 18. He had 16 grams of marijuana in his car, according to his arrest affidavit.

Dawkins was sentenced to a year of probation in that case.

He was charged with multiple probation violations in 2017 after testing positive for marijuana and alcohol, court records show. He was last released Aug. 24 after spending a week in the Indian River County Jail because of a probation violation.