Family dispute turns into deadly shooting as children sleep upstairs, Florida cops say

A family dispute turned deadly when a man traveled to the home of his adult step-daughter and started shooting, according to investigators in the Florida Panhandle.

Two people died, including the shooter, and a third person was critically injured, the Panama City Police Department said in a Dec. 16. news release.

A search revealed two children were also in the home but were not injured in the shooting, police said.

The shooting happened Friday, Dec. 13, in Panama City’s SweetBay neighborhood and ended when 67-year-old Newell Mock killed himself on the porch, police said.

Investigators have not revealed why Mock stormed the home of Jessica and Joshua Johns, his wife’s daughter and son-in-law.

However, he went there shortly after his 65-year-old wife fled their home during an argument, police said.

“Mock forcefully entered the (Johns) residence and immediately engaged Jessica and Joshua with gunfire, striking each of them several times,” police say.

When officers arrived at the Johns’ home, Mock was sitting on the porch. Despite their attempts to “de-escalate Mock,” he killed himself, police said.

“Mock did not threaten the officers, and no officers discharged their weapon,” officers said.

Joshua Johns, 40, was found dead, and Jessica Johns, 40, was critically wounded, police said.

“Officers cleared the residence, finding their 5- and 7-year-old children asleep upstairs,” police said. “A PCPD Volunteer Chaplain remained with the children until other family members could be located and brought to the residence to care for them.”

Jessica Johns is recovering at a hospital but faces “a long and difficult road to recovery, both physically and emotionally,” a relative wrote as part of a fundraising campaign.

Investigators did not reveal why Mock and his wife were at odds.

Panama City is about a 100-mile drive east from Pensacola.

This story was originally published December 17, 2024 at 8:23 AM with the headline "Family dispute turns into deadly shooting as children sleep upstairs, Florida cops say."