Bradenton Shooting Leaves One Dead; Woman Charged in Killing of Two Ex-Husbands
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal shooting that occurred Wednesday afternoon in a Bradenton neighborhood, part of a case that spans multiple Florida counties and involves the deaths of two men.
Deputies responded around 2:55 p.m. on December 17 to a residence in the 7000 block of Chatum Light Run after receiving reports of a shooting. Upon arrival, they found a 54-year-old man suffering from two gunshot wounds. He was transported to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
Investigators said the victim reported that an individual came to his residence and shot him after he answered the door. Detectives believe the incident was targeted and not a random act of violence.
Authorities have identified a 48-year-old Citrus County woman, Susan Erica Avalon, as the suspect in the Manatee County shooting. Avalon is charged with second-degree murder in Manatee County and is also under investigation in connection with the shooting death of a second ex-husband in Tampa on the same day.
According to investigators, Avalon allegedly used stolen food from a Panera Bread location as a ruse to get the Manatee County victim to open his door. Surveillance video shows Avalon entering the restaurant, taking food from a delivery pickup shelf without paying, and then traveling to the victim’s home. License plate reader data tracked her silver Honda Odyssey from Citrus County to Hillsborough County, across the Sunshine Skyway Bridge into Manatee County, and later back to her home.
Court records indicate Avalon and the Manatee County victim had been divorced for approximately 11 years and had ongoing custody disputes, along with unpaid child support totaling about $4,000. Investigators said she was facing a December deadline to make a payment or risk losing her driver’s license.
When detectives went to Avalon’s Citrus County home, they found her cleaning the minivan with bleach and rags. During questioning, her response prompted investigators to check on a second ex-husband in Tampa. Tampa police later found him shot to death inside his home, with damage to a rear door that appeared consistent with forced entry.
Avalon’s live-in boyfriend told detectives she had recently located the Manatee County victim’s address and had made comments suggesting she believed something significant might happen to her. He also reported that when Avalon returned home after the shootings, she showered while still wearing the same gray sweatshirt seen in surveillance footage.
Investigators noted that Avalon has a prior arrest for child abuse in Virginia in 2004, with additional child abuse cases in Tampa and Pasco County that were later dropped. Authorities said those cases were tied to custody disputes involving her former spouses.
Prosecutors have stated they intend to seek an upgrade to a first-degree murder charge in the Manatee County case and pursue the death penalty. Tampa authorities continue to conduct a separate investigation into the second homicide.
The case impacts approximately five children from both marriages. Avalon remains in custody in Citrus County. Investigators have not yet recovered the murder weapon and continue to search her vehicle and other evidence as the investigation remains ongoing.
