On July 14, 2024, a fatal shooting occurred in the parking lot of Mugs Pub, located on Sarno Road in Melbourne, Florida. The victim, 39-year-old Westly A. Lopes, was found lying in the parking lot and was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to the investigation, Lopes and the suspect, 42-year-old Michael Alan Smith, were passengers in a vehicle driven by an unidentified individual. Smith had asked the driver to stop at the Mugs Pub parking lot for an unknown reason.
Once the vehicle stopped, an argument broke out between Smith and Lopes, who was sitting in the back seat. During the dispute, Smith shot Lopes multiple times, then pulled him out of the vehicle and left him in the parking lot.
Following the shooting, Smith instructed the driver to leave the parking lot. The driver, fearing for their safety, drove Smith to the area of Malabar Road and Interstate 95, where Smith got out of the vehicle. The driver then contacted the police to report the incident.
Police initiated a search for Smith and issued a warrant for his arrest. Early on July 15, 2024, a Florida Department of Agriculture officer spotted a stolen car on I-95 north of Jacksonville, which was being driven by Smith. The officer followed the vehicle into Georgia, where Camden County deputies attempted to perform a traffic stop. However, Smith fled, leading to a pursuit. During the chase, a deputy used a "pursuit intervention technique," causing the car to run off the road and crash in a wooded area.
When law enforcement approached the vehicle, they found Smith dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was the only person in the vehicle at the time of the crash. The Georgia State Police are investigating the crash, while the Melbourne Police Department continues to investigate the homicide.
The incident was reported around 11:15 p.m. on July 14, and the driver's timely report to the police helped in the swift identification and pursuit of the suspect. Despite the tragic outcome, the case was resolved with the death of the suspect, bringing a conclusion to the immediate manhunt.
