A locksmith who was critically injured while helping sheriff’s deputies with an eviction in Vero Beach, Florida, has died from his injuries, bringing to three the death toll from last week’s shooting, according to the sheriff’s office, the Associated Press reported.
Civilian locksmith David Long, 76, was known for his “dedicated service and kind demeanor,” Sheriff Eric Flowers said Sunday on social media.
Indian River County Sheriff’s Deputy Terri Sweeting-Mashkow – a 25-year veteran of the agency – was killed when a man they were trying to evict opened fire Friday morning. That man, Michael Halberstam, died of his injuries Saturday, Flowers said.
Another deputy, Florentino Arizpe, who was shot in the shoulder, was released from the hospital over the weekend, the sheriff said.
The sheriff’s office received seven calls from the home in the past month, “almost all” of which were from a mother calling about her son, the sheriff said during a news conference Friday. Still, he said, deputies didn’t expect any trouble when they arrived to evict Halberstam.
Flowers did not say in his post whether Sweeting-Mashkow and Long were wearing protective gear, and the sheriff’s office did not respond to an email on the matter Monday morning.
