Quinton Hunter: Florida gunman murders ex-GF, her partner at Narcotics Anonymous meet before killing himself
EDGEWATER, FLORIDA: Three people died after a man opened fire on his ex-girlfriend and her suspected partner and then turned the gun on himself at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting, on Monday, August 8, 2022, near Daytona Beach. At about 7 pm, Quinton Francis Hunter, 49, who has done time for illegal gunrunning and weapons possession, interrupted a rented group meeting for recovering addicts located behind 515 North Ridgewood Avenue, and killed Ian Greenfield, 59, immediately. According to the police, Hunter who was also known as "Rags" on the street, then held his 33-year-old ex-girlfriend Erica Hoffman hostage, while the other attendees fled the building, reported Law&Crime.
Daily Mail reported Hunter was unhappy that Hoffman was in a relationship with Greenfield. About 20 people attended the Narcotics Anonymous meeting session. Edgewater police said the Southeast Volusia Regional SWAT Team and Negotiations Team mobilized to try to diffuse the situation. Both units tried to reach Hunter but there was no response from inside the building. Cops suggested the motive could be jealousy.
READ MORE
Woman's funeral turns horror show after 'son' rams car into mourners and tips over casket
Greenfield's brother said that he was struggling with drug addiction for years and he and Hoffman were helping each other through drug recovery. "Mr Hunter is the ex-boyfriend of Ms Hoffman and we believe that Mr Greenfield formed a new relationship with her. We don't have the status of that. It may have been just a friendship," the police said.
Police Chief Joseph Mahoney said that Hunter, who sports a distinctive claw-mark face tattoo, started a Facebook live broadcast while he was barricaded inside the building but did not say anything. Police believe that Hoffman and Greenfield were both dead at that point. "We attempted to make contact with the suspect to negotiate; however, it was unsuccessful," Mahoney said. “It’s a Narcotics Anonymous meeting, so I’m not sure about their standing with that group,” Mahoney continued.
“I don’t know if they were there for support for somebody who has a narcotics problem, or if they had a problem themselves,” he added. The special tactical unit was sent in, but the shooting was already done. "We breached the building and located three deceased, including the suspect," the chief said. "At this time, we believe this is a domestic incident and there is not further danger to the public," Mahoney added.
During the conference, reporters asked officers if jealousy played a hand in the murders. "Obviously there is possible jealousy, it's kind of difficult to say at this time if there were any other interactions," Edgewater police said. The backdoor lay in the parking lot and chunks of cider block had been ripped from the doorway.
Police @CityofEdgewater release names of suspects/victims in last nights double murder suicide at Narcotics Anonymous meeting. Victims were 59yo Ian Greenfield & 33 yo Erica Hoffman. Suspect/accused shooter was 49yo Quinton Hunter.. nickname “Rags” pic.twitter.com/RY7lfVwNQW
— claire metz (@clairemetzwesh) August 9, 2022
Narcotics Anonymous offers regular meetings for men and women who struggle with addiction where they can talk about their experiences and help each other stay off drugs. Eric Lancaster, who runs Bridging the Gap, a social services support organization that rents the front office where the shooting took place said that the violence was "very unusual". "There's never been anything like this before. They've been renting that space for a couple of years and there's never been any violence," he said, adding, "They don't bother our space and we don't bother theirs."
Edgewater, population 23,097, is a working-class town about 20 miles south of Daytona Beach, Florida.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).