DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Daytona Beach police now believe they know the identity of the gunman who wore a clown mask when he shot and killed a man on Monday.
Officers are offering a reward of up to $5,000 for anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of Keylan Baker, 23, on a charge of premeditated first-degree murder.
According to witness statements given to police, the accused gunman and Noble Geathers, 28, were drinking at Baker’s home on Reva Street around 11:45 p.m. with two other people.
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While the group was drinking, witnesses said Baker became aggressive and wanted to “go do a lick,” which means he wanted to commit a robbery, records show.
Police said the group then went up the road to a nearby liquor store to buy more alcohol. While on the way, officers said the group encountered the man who was later shot. Baker grabbed the victim by the shirt and said “Give me what you’re smoking,” according to the witness statement. The man did not fight back and the group moved on, investigators said.
When the group got back to the home on Reva Street, Baker again said he wanted to commit a robbery and displayed a revolver, records show. Witness said Baker then went and retrieved two clown masks, one with green hair and one with red hair, police said.
Baker put on the green-haired mask, Geather put on the red-hair mask and the pair left the house, witnesses said.
Police said the masked pair then walked back up the road where the victim and two others were working on a car in a parking lot outside the D Town Supermarkets on Orange Avenue. Investigators said surveillance video showed Geathers acting as a lookout as Baker approached the victim.
One of the witnesses who was sitting in the car being worked on said they saw Baker put a finger to the mask’s mouth, telling the witness to be quiet, records show. The witness thought the masked man was going to prank the victim but saw the man point a gun at the man and shoot him once in the head, police said.
Investigator said Baker then pointed the gun at the person in the car, but another witness got between them and begged the masked man not to shoot. Baker and Geather then took off, records show.
Daytona Beach police said Tuesday that Geathers was arrested on a charge of principal to first-degree murder.