SANTA ROSA COUNTY

SHERIFF'S OFFICE

Sheriff Wendell Hall

Two Victims Shot With Assault Rifle in Milton : Suspect in Custody

Two men are hospitalized after a double shooting in East Milton early this morning. At approximately 0245 hours, Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office deputies were dispatched to a convenience store located at the corner of 87 South and Hickory Hammock Road in East Milton . Deputies were told by the Santa Rosa Emergency Communications Center (ECC) that a citizen in a vehicle was transporting a male subject that had been shot twice; once in the chest. The citizen was instructed by ECC to pull into the convenience store so medical personnel and deputies could render aide. When deputies arrived, they found an adult male victim, identified as John Pall Blackmon (34 years old), sitting on the sidewalk in front of the store with a gun shot wound in the area of his left chest. The bullet exited his back. Blackmon also had a gun shot wound to his right upper arm. The gun shot wounds were the result of being shot with an SKS assault rifle. Blackmon was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital , where he is currently in stable condition in ICU. Blackmon was able to tell deputies that the shooting happened at an address on Bodega Drive in Milton . Blackmon went to the residence of an acquaintance, later identified as Ray Gutierrez, with two friends. One of Blackmon's friends that were present was identified as Randall Mark Elliott (34 years old). Blackmon went to Gutierrez's residence located at 5124 Bodega Drive to confront Gutierrez about his allegedly selling crack cocaine to one of Blackmon's family members. Blackmon and Elliott walked up to Gutierrez's front door. Gutierrez answered the door with an SKS rifle at his side. As Blackmon and Elliott stood on the front porch, Gutierrez raised the rifle and began shooting at both subjects on the front porch. Elliott was shot through his right hand as he dove off of the front porch. Elliott then ran into some tall grass behind Gutierrez's residence, where he hid. Blackmon was able to get to a nearby friend's house at which time he asked to be taken to a hospital. Elliott was not found until approximately two hours later after deputies located him, still in hiding. Elliott was then transported to Santa Rosa Medical Center . He was treated for his injuries and released. When deputies arrived at Gutierrez's residence, they could see movement inside the house, but Gutierrez would not respond to any communication. The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office SWAT team then responded, along with an armored personnel carrier (called a Bear Cat) from Okaloosa County . The Bear Cat was deployed to the front of the residence with a SWAT Entry Team. At that point, Gutierrez decided to peacefully exit his residence with assistance from a Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office Crisis Negotiator. Gutierrez was taken into custody without further incident. The SKS rifle was found inside the house hidden behind a couch. Gutierrez was transported to the Santa Rosa County Jail where he is being held with no bond. No further information is available at this time.

SUSPECT:

Ray Steven Gutierrez., H/M, 21 years old

5124 Bodega Drive , Milton , FL

CHARGE:

Aggravated Battery with a Firearm, 2 counts, NO BOND

Press Release By:

Sgt. Scott Haines

Media Relations Unit

(850) 981-2136 or shaines@srso.net