Investigators say the shooting stemmed from a marital breakup and an apparent workplace affair.
VERO BEACH, Fla. — Police in Vero Beach were searching Wednesday for a 64-year-old man they say fatally shot his estranged wife and another man in a library parking lot, then fled to the beach after a targeted early morning attack captured on surveillance video.
Authorities identified the dead as Stacie Ellis Mason, 49, a traffic analyst technician for Indian River County, and Danny Ooley, 56, the county’s assistant public works director. Police Chief David Currey said investigators believe Mason’s husband, Jesse Scott Ellis, opened fire outside the Indian River County Main Library shortly after 7 a.m. Tuesday. The chief described the case as an isolated, personal attack, but said Ellis remained at large and could still present a danger, especially if confronted by law enforcement.
According to police, Ooley drove a Ford Ranger into the parking lot at the main library on 21st Street in downtown Vero Beach shortly before the shooting. A short time later, Mason arrived in a sport utility vehicle, got out and entered the passenger side of Ooley’s truck. Investigators say Ellis then approached the parked vehicle and fired multiple rounds from an AR-style rifle. Currey said Ooley was shot first while seated in the driver’s seat. The gunman then moved around the truck and fired again as Mason either fell or was pulled from the vehicle. Both victims died at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds. Currey said the library had been a meeting place for the pair before and that Ellis appeared to know they would be there that morning.
Police say surveillance cameras recorded the attack, though the footage has not been released. Investigators recovered the rifle believed to have been used in the shootings, along with shell casings and other physical evidence at the scene. Currey said detectives also executed search warrants on the suspect’s pickup truck, the victims’ vehicles and a South County home tied to Ellis. Officers collected multiple firearms, cell phones and other digital evidence that are now undergoing forensic analysis. The chief said detectives believe the case grew out of a crumbling marriage and an apparent romantic relationship between Mason and Ooley that had lasted at least several weeks. Ellis and Mason had been discussing separation or divorce and the sale of their home, Currey said. He added that Ellis had obtained “professional services” to look into the relationship, suggesting some form of outside assistance such as a private investigator. Police have not publicly detailed what records or communications they have recovered.
The search widened beyond the library within hours. Authorities believe Ellis left the parking lot in a gray Ford F-150 and drove to South Beach Park. A woman called 911 at 7:58 a.m. after seeing what she described as a tall, older man walk into the ocean fully clothed in the area between South Beach Park and Riomar Country Club. Fire rescue crews later responded to a welfare check on a man in the water at about 8:30 a.m. Assistant Fire Chief Steve Greer said the man was about a quarter- to a half-mile offshore when responders reached him by boat. Greer said the man did not appear to be in distress, refused help and said he was fine. Officials said that at the time, rescue crews did not know he might be linked to the shooting. By 12:45 p.m., police had located Ellis’ truck at South Beach Park and later connected the man in the water to the suspect. Currey said emergency responders also encountered a man about 900 yards offshore who gave a false name and declined assistance. Police have not definitively confirmed that person was Ellis, and they have not said whether they believe he drowned, made it back to shore or received help leaving the area.
The killings stunned a city better known for quiet beaches, civic buildings and routine weekday traffic than for a daytime double homicide near a public library. The shooting happened across from First Baptist Church Preschool, though officials said the preschool was closed at the time. Residents who gathered near police tape Tuesday described an unusually heavy law enforcement response in a part of downtown that normally sees office workers, library patrons and county employees. County leaders said the deaths hit especially hard because both victims had spent years working in public service. Administrator John Titkanich said Ooley had worked for Indian River County for nearly 25 years, rising from maintenance worker to assistant public works director. Mason had spent 14 years with the county as a traffic analyst technician, officials said. In a joint statement, county Chairman Deryl Loar and Titkanich said the loss was profound and that both workers had served the community every day.
As of Wednesday evening, no arrest had been announced and police had not said whether a murder warrant had been filed. Investigators were continuing to process the crime scene evidence, analyze phones and other digital records, and search land and water along the barrier island. Currey said the case remains active and that additional updates are expected as forensic work continues and investigators try to determine Ellis’ movements after he left the beach.
Author note: Last updated March 25, 2026.