The man accused of shooting three people - killing two and injuring one - in a Daytona Beach apartment complex has been found dead.
Daytona Beach Police Chief Mike Chitwood told News 13 that York Zed Bodden, 27, was found hanging in his cell at the jail in North Miami where he was being held until he could be extradited back to Daytona Beach.
DBPD was notified Saturday. Police in Miami believed he hanged himself Friday night.
In a statement to News 13, Chitwood, said:
“Thursday afternoon, York Bodden walked into an apartment at Carolina Club Apartments and assassinated two beautiful young women with a bright future. He then stood over our male victim, Micah Parham and put several bullets into his body, leaving him for dead, which is the ultimate cowardly act. He gets arrested Friday in Miami by FDLE agents charging him with capital murder. While in his jail cell in Miami, instead of facing the people he murdered and maimed, he reverted to another cowardly act and hanged himself.”
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested Bodden in North Miami around 12 p.m. Friday.
Daytona Beach Police Chief Mike Chitwood said Bodden tried to run from FDLE agents, but they ran him down.
Chitwood also said Bodden had a long criminal record in Miami that includes kidnapping, robbery and drugs.
Bodden was accused of shooting three people at the Carolina Club Apartments Thursday during an argument over about $200 in rent money.
VICTIMS:
- Timesha Carswell, 21
- Diona McDonald, 19
- Micah Parham, 20 -- in grave condition at Halifax Medical Center
Bodden was a roommate of the three people shot. Police believe he was dating Carswell. Chitwood said the roommates said they would refund Bodden's $200 in rent, but Bodden demanded $400 instead.
Police believe Bodden's roommates decided that he had to leave, and when the rent came due they decided to evict him. They asked another man, Sydney Washington, who was an eyewitness to all of this, to help them evict Bodden.
Police said Bodden refused to leave, which led to a fight. Bodden left and came back with a gun. Police said Washington tried to get the gun from Bodden, but when he knew he wasn't going to be successful, Washington dove out of a window and tried to get help.
Chitwood said Bodden shot Carswell and McDonald each in the head at point-blank range.
Police said Parham was forced into a closet, then shot almost a dozen times, including three times in the face and head, and is currently in grave condition at Halifax Medical Center.
The two women were attending Bethune-Cookman University, and Parham was a former student.
Chitwood said they have contacted the families of the victims. He almost broke down as he talked about McDonald's father, who had recently lost his wife to breast cancer.
"When you walk into a scene like that and you see young people with their band equipment set out for B-CU, with their books, job applications set out, their whole life ahead of them, and this animal walked in and erased that," Chitwood said. "And to think about that father in Michigan, thousands of miles away, and he gets a call in the middle of the night from the Daytona Beach Police Dept. and you're daughter is no longer around, why? Why?"
All of the shooting victims were from Michigan.
The university released the following statement Friday:
It is with saddened hearts that Bethune-Cookman University announces the loss of two students and the critical injury of a former student. The students were victims of a fatal domestic violence incident that occurred at a privately owned apartment complex in Daytona Beach, Florida, early Thursday afternoon. While the campus' Department of Public Safety is working with the Daytona Beach Police Department (DBPD), it is considered an active investigation and DBPD will release all official information.
Bethune-Cookman University's first priority is the safety and well being of the students. We will continue to communicate and educate the B-CU family about domestic violence and general conflict resolution. Our Department of Public Safety is readily available to assist all students who are in need of conflict mediation and security services. In addition, personnel in Counseling Services are available for grief counseling.
This is a very unfortunate incident and our thoughts and prayers are with the families, loved ones and fellow classmates of these students.
Two women were killed Wednesday at the Carolina Club Apartments in Daytona Beach. Police believe the shooting was domestic violence-related. (Saul Saenz, Staff)