Arrest made in Titusville shooting death of Ricky Gilbert

The death of Rickie Gilbert sparked an outcry and grief in Titusville when he was gunned down on his way to choir rehearsal at his church nearly two months ago. 

Gilbert, 62, was struck and killed during an exchange of gunfire between two rival groups near downtown Titusville on Feb. 25, according to police reports. 

Quantay Byrom, 20, was arrested Thursday evening after a warrant was issued for his arrest earlier in the week on charges of first-degree murder and shooting from a vehicle. 

After reviewing multiple angles of surveillance footage and interviewing several witnesses, police reported that Byrom was driving a Hyundai Sonata when gunfire broke out between his vehicle and another group driving a Nissan Altima that evening.

Gilbert was driving to choir practice at his church when he unwittingly drove between the two cars that became involved in the shootout. 

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Stills from a surveillance camera show the Sonata passing Gilbert's vehicle on Deleon Avenue. Two separate frames recorded moments apart show holes appear in Gilbert's windshield as the suspect's vehicle passed him, according to arrest reports. 

Police found 9mm casings near where the Sonata had been driving and also reported that Gilbert was killed by a 9mm bullet, according to medical examiner's reports. 

When police located the vehicle Byrom had reportedly been driving— which belonged to a family member— it had been given a fresh paint job, police said.

During interviews with detectives, Byrom initially told police he was not in the car at the time of the shooting, according to an affidavit. He later changed his story and said he was driving when people in the other vehicle began firing at the car. 

He told officers the passenger in his car—whose name he claimed not to know—then began to fire back as he attempted to drive away. 

Forensic and video evidence from the scene shows that Byrom pursued the Nissan Altima at a high speed, according to police. 

"Mr. Gilbert was an innocent victim who had nothing to do with the feud, and was simply driving down the street when he was shot through his windshield and killed," Titusville police said in a statement. 

“We are continuing to work strong leads, and expect more arrests in this despicable crime," said Police Chief John Lau. “Our Detectives are committed to bringing justice for the Gilbert family." 

Lau said he expects the investigation will yield more arrests in the near future. 

Byrom is being held at the Brevard County Jail on no bond status. 

Anyone with further information on this crime is urged to contact the Titusville Police Department and can remain anonymous by calling CRIMELINE at 800-423-TIPS.

Contact Vazquez at tvazquez@floridatoday.com, 321-917-7491 or on Twitter @tyler_vazquez. Support his work by subscribing to FloridaToday.com.