On November 4, 2024, 20-year-old Aniya Sheppard of Fort Pierce was found shot and deceased near the roadway at Eber Boulevard and Buddy Drive in unincorporated West Melbourne, Florida. A passerby at a nearby convenience store gas pump alerted a deputy shortly before 6:40 a.m.; deputies located Sheppard and she was pronounced dead at the scene. A resident of Pine Lake Estates reported hearing a single gunshot at about 6:00 a.m., which aligns with the timing of the discovery.

The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office says Sheppard was the intended target of a violent attack and is treating the death as a homicide rather than a traffic incident. Homicide and Crime Scene units are interviewing witnesses and collecting evidence, and the body was taken to the Brevard County Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy. Anyone with information is asked to contact Agent Kevin Morris of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit at 321-633-8413 or CRIMELINE at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477).