FORT PIERCE, Fla. — One year after Derrick T. Everett Jr. was shot and killed while delivering prescriptions for a local pharmacy, his family is still searching for answers — and justice.
WATCH BELOW: 'I hope it never goes dormant, until it’s solved,' Twonette Brunson tells WPTV's Mello Styles
Everett, 26, left for work that day like he always did. But that night, he never made it home.
Now, his mother says the grief hasn’t eased and the silence from investigators is only adding to the pain.
“I hope it never goes dormant, until it’s solved,” said Twonette Brunson, Everett’s mother.
Brunson told WPTV she’s been struggling every day since losing her only son.
“Still sleepless nights. Panic attacks. Anxiety,” she said.
When asked about the status of the investigation and her communication with Fort Pierce Police, Brunson said there hasn’t been much progress.
“Definitely could be better, just more updates could be provided,” she added.
WPTV reached out to Fort Pierce Police. A spokesperson shared a brief statement:
“I have spoken with detectives on the case and it’s still very active, but unfortunately they don’t have anything additional at this time.”
Brunson says detectives initially told her they believed the shooting may have happened during an attempted robbery while her son was on a delivery route.
Since that night, Brunson says her family has been her only source of strength.
“It’s been really hard to see her struggle through this year without her one and only son,”said Mary Edwards, Brunson’s sister.
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Edwards says she can still hear the echo of her nephew’s voice — once a comforting presence in family calls — now painfully absent.
“And now when I’m talking to her on the phone… not to hear that, it’s heartbreaking. It’s heart-wrenching,” Edwards said.
Derrick Everett Sr., Everett’s father, believes someone in the community knows what happened that night.
Fort Pierce
Who shot Derrick Everett Jr.? Family seeks answers
“If someone knows something, say something. Speak up,” he said.
The family says their only hope now is for closure — and to make sure Everett’s name and story are never forgotten.
“I’m really grateful that the news didn’t allow the story to go dormant — that this channel found it important that stories like Derrick’s are told,” Edwards said.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Fort Pierce Police Department or Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers.
