A night out with friends that began at local bars in Port Orange and South Daytona, Florida, ended in a sudden and violent tragedy on October 28, 2026. In the early morning hours, Rob Panayotis, a 45-year-old man, was shot and killed inside a South Daytona apartment following a verbal dispute. His death left friends and family grappling with the loss of a loved one over what witnesses described as a brief argument about motorcycle clubs.
The evening of October 27th began with Rob and three acquaintances, including Justin W. Bryan, 31, visiting the Cozy Corner bar in Port Orange before moving on to Mark’s Sports Bar in South Daytona. Later, the group decided to continue their night at an apartment located at 2050 South Ridgewood Avenue. According to an arrest affidavit, the four were together in a bedroom when a conversation turned tense.
Witnesses told investigators that Rob made a comment to Bryan, stating, “this is why you don’t switch clubs,” which was interpreted as a reference to motorcycle clubs. Police noted that witnesses mentioned Rob had past associations with the Pagans Motorcycle Club and possibly the Outlaw Motorcycle Club, though the official report did not establish that the shooting was connected to an ongoing club-related conflict.
The remark reportedly enraged Bryan, who ordered Rob and one of the two women present to leave his apartment. As Rob Panayotis began gathering his personal belongings to comply and exit the residence, Bryan allegedly walked to a closet, retrieved a shotgun, and pointed it at him. One of the female witnesses bravely stepped in, pushing the barrel of the weapon away and telling Bryan to shoot her instead if he was intent on shooting someone. Bryan then fired a single round into the floor. While Rob continued to pack his things in an apparent effort to de-escalate the situation by leaving, Bryan allegedly fired the shotgun a second time, striking Rob directly in the face.
The South Daytona Police Department received a 911 call reporting the shooting and dispatched officers to the apartment complex at approximately 5:30 a.m. Upon arrival, police found Justin Bryan in front of the building and immediately detained him. Inside, they discovered a grim scene. Rob Panayotis was lying unresponsive on the floor of a back bedroom, having suffered a catastrophic gunshot wound to his head. Emergency medical personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.
Investigators interviewed the two women who witnessed the shooting. Both stated that Rob was unarmed, had made no threatening statements, and had not engaged in any physical altercation with Bryan before the gunfire erupted. Crime scene investigators located two spent shotgun shells—one just outside the bedroom and another inside it—corroborating the witness accounts of two shots being fired.
Following the initial investigation and witness interviews, Justin W. Bryan was arrested and transported to the Volusia County Jail. He was formally charged with second-degree murder with a firearm and, according to jail records, was held without bond.
The case highlights the devastating speed at which a verbal disagreement can escalate to fatal violence. A producer for the investigative crime program "15 Minutes of Murder" commented on the senselessness of the act, stating, “To pull a shotgun out of a closet and end a man’s life over a casual remark about a motorcycle club is a terrifying window into unchecked rage. The victim was literally packing his bags to walk away from the argument, proving that sometimes, even trying to de-escalate a situation can’t save you from an angry mind.”
As of late October 2026, the investigation into Rob Panayotis's death remained active as the State Attorney’s Office prepared the case for formal arraignment and future court proceedings. Justin Bryan remained in custody awaiting trial. The South Daytona Police Department has encouraged anyone with further information regarding the incident to contact them at 386-322-3030.
