On January 20, 2024, a tragic incident occurred at the Woodlake Village Apartments in Palm Bay, Florida, resulting in the deaths of three individuals, including 60-year-old Angella Suglam. Angella Suglam was the mother of the suspect, Ta’Shawn Taylor, and was found dead along with her husband, 79-year-old Stephen Suglam, and her daughter, 31-year-old Lisa Suglam.
The events unfolded when Palm Bay police responded to a 911 call around 9 p.m. reporting gunfire at the apartment complex.
Upon arrival, officers discovered five people shot, with Angella, Stephen, and Lisa succumbing to their injuries. Two other individuals, a 15-year-old boy named Kamauri Curry and 59-year-old Gary Taylor, were found with gunshot wounds and were transported to the hospital. The 15-year-old was in critical condition, while Gary Taylor's injuries were non-life-threatening.
According to witnesses and police reports, Ta’Shawn Taylor walked out of his bedroom with a laser-scoped handgun and entered the bedroom where his mother, Angella Suglam, was lying in bed with two children. Angella yelled, "Ta’Shawn, don’t do it," before being struck in the head by gunfire. Taylor then fired several more rounds, striking his sister Lisa and other victims. One of the survivors pretended to be dead to avoid further harm.
Taylor fled the scene in his mother’s black Lexus and was later stopped and arrested by police on Babcock Street in Melbourne around 10:20 p.m. He was taken into custody and is being held without bond in the Brevard County Jail.
The motive behind the shootings is still under investigation, with detectives exploring various possibilities including mental health issues and domestic problems. Ta’Shawn Taylor's family has stated that he suffers from schizophrenia and had been treated for his condition in the past. Despite his mental health struggles, the family described Angella and Lisa as supportive and caring towards him.
The Brevard Grand Jury indicted Ta’Shawn Taylor on February 20, 2024, on three counts of First-Degree Premeditated Murder for the deaths of Angella, Stephen, and Lisa Suglam, as well as two counts of Attempted First-Degree Murder for the shootings of Kamauri Curry and Gary Taylor. State prosecutors have filed a Notice of Intent to Seek the Death Penalty for each of the First-Degree Premeditated Murders.
