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Suspect, victims identified in West Palm Beach shootings

Posted at 11:06 PM, Jan 05, 2017
and last updated 2017-01-06 11:28:43-05

One man is dead and another person was shot after a brief stand-off overnight in West Palm Beach.

Just after 8:30 p.m. Thursday, police responded to a shooting in the 1300 block of North Dixie Hwy. just outside of Good Samaritan Hospital.  

Paramedics found the victim, Edward Neals, 44, and took him to the hospital with injuries that are not life threatening.  Neals was later released from the hospital.

While investigating that shooting, police said they heard more shots fired at 439 13th St.

Police said officers witnessed the shooting of Manuel Poole, 54, of West Palm Beach on the second floor porch and watched the suspected shooter, Nathaniel Royal, 50, flee into a second-floor apartment next to the porch. 

In an attempt to provide medical care to Poole, police said officers extracted Poole from the porch while Royal was still barricaded inside of the neighboring apartment.

Police said officers carried Poole down the staircase and toward medical personnel where he was later pronounced dead. 

Eventually Royal surrendered to police after a standoff and taken to jail where he faces murder and attempted murder in the shootings.

“It’s the best outcome we could have hoped for with a successful resolution.  All the different units within the West Palm Beach Police Department worked together to have this gentleman surrender himself,” said Sgt. Dennis Hardiman of West Palm Beach police.

Poole's daughter, Zequi, said she spoke with her father recently.

"He was telling me about his weekend and you know it's about time for him to tie the knot.  I was very proud of that because I have a 3-year-old son, and he needed his grandfather," said Zequi Poole.

The victim's daughter also had a message for the killer of her father.

"The Bible tells me to forgive, but I'm going to  tell you that I'm not there yet with it. Eventually it will come, but the fact of the matter is you did the crime, you need to do the time," said Zequi Poole.