Cocoa shooting suspect arrested, tied to two South Florida homicides all on same day

South Florida man charged after deadly multi-county shooting spree

A South Florida man is facing multiple charges after a deadly crime spree that left two people dead and another injured across more than 200 miles on Friday, authorities said.

COCOA, Fla. - A man arrested in a shooting in Cocoa is believed to be connected to two earlier fatal shootings in South Florida, according to the Miami Gardens Police Department.

Dennard Barnes was arrested Friday night in Brevard County on multiple charges, including attempted murder.

The backstory:

Dennard Barnes is charged in Brevard County with 16 felonies and 3 misdemeanors. One of the charges is attempted murder after Cocoa police said he shot a man in the chest Friday night. 

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It happened at an apartment complex off Clearlake Road. Police said they chased Barnes in a white van. Officers said they had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit as the suspect drove back to the crime scene.

Police arrested Barnes after they said the K-9 officer got Barnes under control. 

According to a news release from Miami Gardens police, Barnes is being investigated for two deadly shootings just hours earlier in South Florida. 

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The first was around 6p.m. Friday in Miami Gardens. The second was in North Miami. 

Miami Gardens police said Barnes knew the people he shot, but police said they’re working to pinpoint a motive. 

Barnes is being held in Brevard County without bond. 

What's next:

Police in South Florida said they want to question Barnes. A motive has yet to be determined in any shooting.