$5K reward offered in search for suspect in deadly DeBary restaurant shooting

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Sammy McKnight Jr. is facing a second-degree murder charge in a deadly shooting outside a DeBary IHOP restaurant on Friday, June 17, 2022.

LAIKE MARY, Fla. – Deputies with the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office have obtained a warrant for the arrest of a man said to be involved in a deadly shooting outside an IHOP restaurant Friday evening in DeBary.

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood on Monday announced a $5,000 reward that is available for information leading to the arrest of 31-year-old Sammy McKnight Jr. McKnight had been named as a person of interest in the case over the weekend but is now wanted on a charge of second-degree murder. 

Investigators arrived at the restaurant, located at 320 Dirksen Drive, in response to a call of a shooting that happened just before 6:30 p.m. Friday.

Several law enforcement officers were on the scene and set up a large perimeter around the restaurant, marked with crime scene tape. Witnesses told deputies that two men were fighting outside the restaurant when one shot the other and then left the scene. The sheriff’s office later identified the man killed in the shooting as James Shirley, 36, of DeBary. 

In addition to the murder charge, McKnight currently has an open warrant for failure to appear on a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Detectives said McKnight may be traveling in a light blue/gray 2007 Cadillac CTS with Florida license plate LNI-T47.  

Detectives said Sammy McKnight, 31, may be traveling in a light blue/gray 2007 Cadillac CTS with Florida license plate LNI-T47.

McKnight may be in the Daytona Beach area.  Anyone who sees McKnight or has information about his whereabouts is asked to call 911, and not to approach.