BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Deputies released the identity of the woman’s body that discovered Monday morning in Brevard County, according to a news release.
On Tuesday, deputies identified the woman as 20-year-old Aniya Sheppard of Fort Pierce.
Deputies said the woman’s body was found off the roadway in the area of Eber Boulevard and Buddy Drive in West Melbourne.
According to the release, deputies responded around 6:40 a.m. after someone at the gas pumps of a nearby convenience store alerted them that there appeared to be a body on the side of the road.
Deputies said they located a female victim who had been shot and was pronounced dead at the scene.
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“Agents from the Homicide and Crime Scene Units responded to the area and began the process of interviewing potential witnesses and collecting evidence to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident,” the release said in part.
Deputies said it appears Sheppard was the intended target of a violent attack.
A first responder also recorded on dispatch recordings then described her injuries, graphically.”She’s got massive head damage also,” he said.
The scene was across the street from the Pine Lake Estates trailer park.
Resident Bob Smith told News 6 reporter James Sparvero he believed he heard a gunshot around 6 in the morning.
“I heard one shot,” Smith said. “It was distinct enough that I’m pretty sure it was a bullet shot.”
Smith described the community normally, being quiet.
“It’s very nice here,” he said. “I worked in Miami for 30 years so I was used to bullet shots, but here you don’t expect it.”
The sheriff’s office told Sparvero the death was not traffic-related.
The investigation is ongoing, deputies said.
Anyone who may have information about this investigation is asked to call Agent Kevin Morris of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit at 321-633-8413 or Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS (8477). All calls to Crimeline are confidential and callers can remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward.