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December 15, 2006

Former R.I. man kills 2, and then dies in Florida shooting

A former Rhode Island man died from gunfire yesterday after killing a security guard and another man in a shooting rampage at a gated community in Florida.

Shawn Ronald Creamer, 39, formerly of Johnston and lately of Titusville, Fla., first killed the security guard at The Great Outdoors RV Nature & Golf Resort in Titusville and then forced his way into the home of an ex-girlfriend, according to the police.

A man, who the police say was inside the home to protect Creamer’s ex-girlfriend, confronted Creamer, according to Lt. Andrew Walters of the Brevard County Sheriff's Office. David Earl Hinkle, 46 of Titusville, was also killed.

Those two men exchanged gunfire and both were mortally wounded. It's unclear whether Creamer shot himself or was shot by the man he attacked, according to the sheriff's office.

"During the course of the shootout, both of them were shot and killed," Walters said today.

The mayhem began about 2:30 a.m. yesterday, when Creamer drove to the resort area, parked in a nearby parking lot and walked up to the security gate. He killed the on-duty security officer, David Ryan Tripp, 26, of Cocoa, Fla., according to the police.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

As the two men exchanged fire, the woman fled and called 911 from a relative's house. David Earl Hinkle, 46 of Titusville, and Creamer died in the shooting.

Creamer worked at Bradley Hospital in Rhode Island from Aug. 15, 1994, to May 14, 2004, hospital spokeswoman Lynn Hall confirmed today. She would not say what job he held or why he left. In 2001, Creamer lived in Johnston, at 10 Autumn Drive, according to Johnston Deputy Chief Gary W. Maddocks Jr.

In Titusville, Creamer lived at 580 Birchwood Lane with Heather Jean Ovalles, an elementary-school teacher who owned the property.

The police said a "distinct odor of marijuana" led them to obtain a search warrant the house.

Officers discovered one room had been transformed into "an elaborate 'grow' house," where 56 marijuana plants were being cultivated. The room was equipped with special lights and ventilation..

The police said they also recovered three handguns in the home, including a .44 magnum and a .45 semi-automatic.

Ovalles is charged with felony cultivation of marijuana and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, according to a news release issued by the Titusville Police Department.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 3:34 PM | Permalink

Comments

shawn was a great man when he was sober. when under the influence, not so much.

mike | August 23, 2007 12:49 PM link

December 15, 2006

Former R.I. man kills 2, and then dies in Florida shooting

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