Javontee Brice, accused of killing three women in Manatee County on Monday, has a documented history of mental health issues, according to local authorities.
In 2021, detectives reported that Brice appeared to have shot himself in the abdomen shortly after making a cryptic post on Facebook. In a subsequent interview with his sister, detectives learned of a similar incident in 2018, when Brice allegedly harmed himself after drinking at a party in Georgia.
Following these events, a Risk Protection Order was placed against Brice, preventing him from buying or possessing firearms or ammunition. Although the order expired in 2023, he remained prohibited from owning a gun due to the terms of his probation from a previous battery charge.
Court documents also reveal that Brice was committed under the Baker Act and spent time at a local behavioral health center in 2021.
One of Brice’s friends told ABC7 that Brice seemed happy and expressed uncertainty about what could have triggered Monday’s tragic events.
