On August 8, 2022, at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting near Daytona Beach, a man shot dead his ex-girlfriend and the person she was believed to be dating, then turned the gun on himself. Three people died. Quinton Francis Hunter, 49, who had been in prison for illegal arms dealing and possession, walked into a meeting for recovering addicts behind 515 North Ridgewood Avenue around 7 p.m. and killed Ian Greenfield, 59, instantly. Law&Crime said Hunter, who was on the Street, also known as “Rags,” held his 33-year-old ex-girlfriend, Erica Hoffman, hostage while the others exited the building.
The Daily Mail said Hunter was upset that Hoffman saw Greenfield. About 20 people attended the Narcotics Anonymous meeting. Edgewater Police said the Southeast Volusia Region SWAT team and negotiation team were dispatched to try to settle things. Both units attempted to contact Hunter, but no one in the building answered. The police thought it might be due to jealousy.
Greenfield’s brother said that Greenfield had been a drug addict for many years and that he and Hoffman helped each other get clean. “MS. Hoffman’s ex-boyfriend is Mr. Hunter and we believe Mr. Greenfield is dating her now. We don’t know how. It could have just been a friendship,” police said.
Police Chief Joseph Mahoney said Hunter, who has a tattoo on his face that looks like a claw, went live on Facebook while he was locked in the building but said nothing. At this point, police believe both Hoffman and Greenfield were already dead. “We tried to get in touch with the suspect to talk about a deal but we couldn’t,” Mahoney said. “I don’t know how they feel about this group because it’s a Narcotics Anonymous meeting,” Mahoney said.
He also said, “I don’t know if they were there to help someone with a drug problem or if they had a problem themselves.” Although the special tactical unit was sent in, the shooting had already taken place. The chief said, “We broke into the building and found three dead including the suspect.” “Right now we think this is a family matter and the public is no longer in danger,” Mahoney said.
During the press conference, reporters asked police if the killings were due to jealousy. Edgewater Police said, “It’s possible that there was jealousy, but it’s hard to say at this point if there were other interactions.” The back door was in the parking lot, and pieces of the cider block were torn from the doorway been.
Men and women who are addicted to drugs can attend Narcotics Anonymous meetings where they can share their experiences and help each other stay clean. Eric Lancaster, who runs Bridging the Gap, which rents the front office where the shooting took place, said the violence was “very unusual”. “There has never been anything like it. “They have rented this space for a couple of years and there has never been any violence,” he said. “They don’t disturb our space, and we don’t disturb theirs.”
Edgewater is a working class town with a population of approximately 23,097. It is approximately 20 miles south of Daytona Beach, Florida.