How we got here: Story of Compound killings was reported over many twists, turns

In any given year, Brevard County sees at least 40 homicides. Fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, even children, become victims of the ultimate act of violence.

In this case, a story 13 months in the making is based on a wide range of source material, including phone calls to parents, court records, arrest reports and talks on background from concerned police and others.

More: Quest for justice drove Palm Bay police investigation into teen killings at The Compound

The first story began with the brutal events of Christmas Day 2022. Two families would soon learn that their loved ones were shot to death in one of Palm Bay’s most notorious areas, known as "The Compound."

For years, the Compound had raised concerns. Jeremiah Brown, 14, and Travon Anthony, 16, are not the only ones who have been killed or who died in the Compound over the decades. But their story — their youth, the timing, the seeming brutality — rattled the community.

FLORIDA TODAY reached out to the victims' parents. The reporter visited the Compound. Then Chrisel Brown, the mother of Jeremiah, helped spearhead protests about the Compound, calling for it to be closed. During the time that battle continued, with protests and statements before the Palm Bay City Council, the body of a 44-year-old woman was found, chopped up, burned and scattered across the Compound.

More: Who were the victims of Palm Bay Compound killings? Who are those arrested in connection?

More reporting took place as initially the story focused on the location of the killings.

But reporting shifted with the shooting death of a 16-year-old boy, Kobe Kirkland, in Melbourne. On the surface it seemed disconnected from everything else Compound-related, but then family members shared speculation about what happened. The story shifted again. This time, it focused more on the violence striking south Brevard communities, and the lives of teenagers taken too soon.

More: How we got from the Compound killings of Christmas 2022 to trial for Palm Bay teens' deaths

Then came a drive-by shooting at the home of a teen whose name was circulating around the deaths of Jeremiah and Travon.

Calls were made to Melbourne police, the state attorney’s office and the Palm Bay police department. Perhaps hamstrung by worry over the evidence or the fact that these were juvenile cases were tied to gun violence, law enforcement did not discuss any possible connections or concerns about retaliation on the streets.

Armed with the name of one suspect, records were pulled and locations were visited. When more drive-by shootings took place in the neighborhood of one of the suspects, the reporter went to the scene, taking photos of the crime scene and the officers.

The story continues to unfold with grand jury indictments in January, charging teens Jamarcus Simpson and Juan Shuren with two counts each of first-degree murder.

The trial for Jamarcus Simpson begins next week.

J.D. Gallop is a criminal justice/breaking news reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or [email protected]. Twitter: @JDGallop.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: How we got here: A look at how story of Compound killing was reported