Don Gregory Phillips II, a 29-year-old aspiring barber and father of one from Vero Beach, Florida, was killed on October 10, 2018. He was sitting in an SUV with a friend at a relative’s home in the Gifford neighborhood when 23-year-old Richard Peterson III approached from behind with a shotgun, poked the firearm into Phillips’ chest multiple times, and shot Phillips once after Phillips reached for his legally owned handgun to defend himself.

Investigators recovered a black Reebok sneaker at the scene; DNA from the shoe matched Peterson, who fled and was later arrested and charged with first-degree murder and attempted armed robbery. The attack appeared to be motivated by robbery, and Phillips and Peterson did not know each other. Phillips’ mother, Aroma Phillips, urged the community to cooperate with law enforcement and described her son as responsible and hardworking.

Does anyone have information about Phillips’ life in Gifford or details that could shed light on the night he was killed?