Circle K Clerk Was 'Having a Bad Day' When He Killed an Off-Duty Officer Buying a Hot Dog: Police By Madison E. Goldberg

A Circle K clerk in Ormond-by-the-Sea, Fla., allegedly confessed to shooting and killing an off-duty Edgewater Police Officer because he was “having a bad day.”

Store clerk Eduardo Felipe Labrada Machado confessed to Monday’s Sept. 15 murder of Officer David Jewell, according to a statement from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday, Sept. 16.

“The defendant said he was having a bad day on his drive to work, and thought about shooting Jewell earlier,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a statement shared on social media. “When he arrived at work and saw Jewell, he used a handgun he recently purchased to shoot him multiple times at close range. He did not say anything to Jewell prior to shooting him.”

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Machado, 24, told police he had previously seen Jewell, 45, in the store with a firearm and was “afraid” of him. He didn’t state if he knew Jewell was a police officer, or if he had ever seen him in uniform.

Authorities added that family members confirmed Machado was “diagnosed with a mental health disorder in the past, and had indicated he was hearing voices.” They also said he was “quiet and played a lot of video games.”

“I’m not going out on a limb on saying this: That gun was bought for one purpose and one purpose alone. That gun was bought to assassinate Police Officer Jewell for whatever reason this guy was thinking,” Sheriff Mike Chitwood said in a press conference, according to News 4 Jax.

The weapon used was found in the backseat of Machado’s car, per VCSO.

Machado has no prior criminal history; however, in 2023, there was a weapons complaint about him shooting guns at Tomoka State Park. He is a legal resident of the U.S. via a green card and has resided in the country for a decade, the VSCO said in its release.

Machado’s first court appearance was on Tuesday. A judge denied his release on $1 million bond, per Fox 35 Orlando.

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A GoFundMe was created by the Edgewater Police Department to assist Jewell’s family with future expenses.

“The Edgewater Police Department is heartbroken over the tragic and senseless loss of Officer David Jewell, a dedicated Edgewater Police Officer, loving husband, and devoted father,” the EPD wrote in a statement.

If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.