FWC Divers Search Escambia River For Attempted Murder Suspect’s Shotgun

May 14, 2016

A state law enforcement dive team from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spent hours Friday searching the bottom of  the Escambia River for a shotgun used by an attempted murder suspect.

The FWC divers performed a systematic grid search under the Highway 4 bridge between Century and Jay, including the use of sonar equipment. On Thursday, Volunteers walked an area of the river  that was about 4-5 feet deep, and magnets were pulled along in hopes of snagging the gun.

But so far, attempts to recover the shotgun from the river have been unsuccessful. Authorities plan to continue their search efforts.

Steven Lloyd Billiot, age 21 of Flomaton, remains in the Santa Rosa County Jail without bond awaiting extradition back to Escambia County, AL, to face an attempted murder charge for allegedly shooting a man with a shotgun early Wednesday morning.

The Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office responded to a domestic disturbance in a mobile home park on Highway 31 about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday in the small community of Canoe, just east of Atmore. They arrived to find a man critically injured by a shotgun blast to his arm. The man allegedly got into an argument over a female with Billiot before Billiot shot him. The victim was transported to a local hospital and then transferred to the USA Medical Center in Mobile.

Billiot fled the scene and was captured several hours later  after a short foot pursuit from the Farmer’s Market in Jay with the assistance of the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Marshals.

According to Escambia County (AL) Chief Deputy Mike Lambert, Billiot told authorities that midday Wednesday he tossed the shotgun off the Highway 4 bridge between Century and Jay.

NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

7 Responses to “FWC Divers Search Escambia River For Attempted Murder Suspect’s Shotgun”

  1. David Huie Green on May 14th, 2016 10:52 pm

    CONTEMPLATING:
    “Do you know that a gun can float for a while before it sinks instead of them searching in one spot.”

    Floating shotguns?
    Are we talking hollow stock?
    How long?

    David for dry weapons

  2. Brit on May 14th, 2016 12:02 pm

    If they have him confessing to doing this on tape, why the crap are they spending hundreds of tax dollars searching for a gun that didn’t even kill anyone?!?! Even if they find the gun, he may get 5 years.

  3. William on May 14th, 2016 11:45 am

    >>I wonder if it has occurred to officers that there is more than 1 bridge. He could’ve tossed it out at the bridge before the river bridge

    He has identified the exact spot on the bridge where he tossed it based upon a couple of visible items.

  4. Dennis on May 14th, 2016 11:40 am

    It says they are searching the river, not just at the bridge. These guys do this for a living so I am sure they aren’t just searching at the bridge….

  5. Niknak50 on May 14th, 2016 11:24 am

    I wonder if it has occurred to officers that there is more than 1 bridge. He could’ve tossed it out at the bridge before the river bridge

  6. Willis on May 14th, 2016 9:04 am

    Do you know that people lie and there may have never been a gun thrown off the bridge ?

  7. 602 on May 14th, 2016 6:12 am

    Do you no that a gun can float for a while before it sinks instead of them searching in one spot. They need to take their search down Creek some. They might have better luck.