OKEECHOBEE, FL — A tragic act of violence unfolded Sunday afternoon in the Brindaban Forest subdivision of Okeechobee, where a man dressed in black fatally shot two of his neighbors before being killed during a shootout with responding law enforcement officers.

The victims have been identified as Purvin Evans and his wife, Debbie Evans, both longtime residents of Fort Pierce who were spending the weekend at their second home in Okeechobee.

According to family members, the couple was sitting peacefully on their front porch when they were senselessly gunned down.

“This is my second cousin, Purvin Evans,” a relative wrote in a tribute shared on social media. “He and his wife Debbie were gunned down in cold blood yesterday afternoon, sitting on their porch, just minding their own business. Fort Pierce lost two beautiful souls.”

Purvin Evans was well known in the Fort Pierce community for his decades of work in stucco construction. He and his wife had regularly visited their weekend home in Okeechobee, where they found peace away from the city.

According to Chief Deputy Michael Hazellief of the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), deputies responded to a report of gunfire in the Brindaban Forest community around 1:35 p.m. on July 21.

When officers arrived on scene, they were immediately confronted by a male suspect dressed in all black and armed with a long-barreled firearm.

A shootout ensued between the suspect and deputies.

The suspect was struck by return fire and later died at a nearby hospital.

His identity has not yet been publicly released.

Deputies discovered the two victims — believed to be neighbors of the gunman — deceased on the property, both suffering from fatal gunshot wounds.

Investigators believe the killings were targeted and directly connected to the suspect.

Out of an abundance of caution, authorities called in the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad, as there was concern that the suspect may have left explosive devices at the scene. Additional support was provided by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is leading the investigation into the officer-involved shooting.

As per protocol, the five OCSO deputies involved in the exchange of gunfire have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the FDLE’s investigation.

The Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office will oversee the homicide investigation concerning the deaths of Purvin and Debbie Evans.

Authorities have not yet confirmed a motive for the shooting, and the investigation remains ongoing.