A Circle K employee confessed to killing an off-duty officer from the Edgewater Police Department, according to a report from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
Eduardo Labrada Machado, 24, faces first-degree murder charges for the fatal shooting of David Jewell, 45, on Monday at an Ormond-by-the-Sea gas station where Machado worked, according to an update posted Tuesday morning to the sheriff’s office Facebook page.
Machado told authorities he’d seen Jewell in the store several times before shooting him, according to the post. The sheriff’s office stated the suspect and victim had argued in the past, although Machado said he couldn’t remember what it was about.
Machado also told investigators that he had seen the victim with a gun in the past and was afraid of him, but did not indicate whether or not he knew Jewell was a police officer or if he had ever seen him in uniform, according to the Facebook post.
On the day of the shooting, Machado told deputies he was having a bad day on the drive to work and had thought earlier about shooting Jewell, according to the sheriff’s office.
When he arrived at work, he saw the officer, who was not in uniform, and shot him multiple times at close range, according to officials.
Family members told authorities Machado suffered from mental health disorders in the past and indicated he heard voices. They were not aware, however, of any homicidal behaviors or anti-law enforcement ideologies, the sheriff’s office stated.
Machado doesn’t have a criminal history, but did have a prior encounter with law enforcement for shooting guns at Tomoka State Park in 2023.
He’s a legal U.S. resident who’s lived here for 10 years and has a green card.
Officials found the alleged murder weapon inside a jacket in the backseat of his vehicle.
Investigators will continue collecting and processing evidence.
Machado is currently being held at the Volusia County Branch Jail without bond.
