Police: Former behavioral health facility patient fatally shoots employee he was counseled by

MELBOURNE, Fla. — A former patient at Circles of Care in Melbourne was arrested Wednesday after he shot and killed an employee at the facility, according to a police report.

Investigators said Robert Quackenbush went to the Circles of Care facility and shot Travis Knight, an employee at the facility at least three times.

On Wednesday, Melbourne police responded to the scene for reports of a shooting outside the behavioral health facility, located on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard near West NASA Boulevard.

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Melbourne police said they found Knight lying face down in the parking lot. Knight appeared to have been shot at least three times.

While at the facility, officers were flagged down by two Circles of Care employees who had detained Quackenbush after the shooting.

One of the witnesses recovered Quackenbush’'s semi-automatic pistol after Quackenbush discarded it in nearby bushes.

According to the employees, Quackenbush was a previous patient at Circles of Care.

Just before the shooting, employees said Quackenbush was seen walking around the parking lot.

Knight, who finished working for the evening, exited the building and was confronted by Quackenbush, the witnesses said.

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Investigators said Knight and Quackenbush sat down on a curb and appeared to engage in a casual conversation. Witnesses said there appeared to be no argument of physical gestures toward one another.

After their brief conversation, investigators said Knight walked toward his car and Quackenbush followed behind him.

Quackenbush then called out to Knight to turn around. He raised his gun, pointed it at Quackenbush and shot him in the chest, according to the report.

Investigators said Knight collapsed face down onto the ground and Quackenbush stood over Knight and shot him in the head at least two more times.

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Quackenbush then walked back toward the building with the gun still in his hand, the report said.

Shortly after the shooting, Circles of Care employees exited the building and confronted Quackenbush. They told him to put the gun down and that’s when they said he tossed it into the nearby bushes, where it was retrieved by an employee.

Melbourne police said the shooting was also caught on surveillance video.

According to police, the video shows Quackenbush pursue Knight and shoot him in an unprovoked attack.

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During an interview with investigators, Quackenbush admitted that he shot and killed Knight in a premeditated, unprovoked attack.

They said Quackenbush said he was a prior patient at the facility under a Baker Act. He was counseled by Knight while admitted at the facility.

Quackenbush claimed “Knight utilized drugs and hypnosis to experiment with his mind and create disturbing thoughts.”

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He told investigators that he made the decision that he was going to kill Knight due to this “perceived threat.”

Then, Quackenbush told investigators that he went to the facility to kill Knight. He said he shot Knight in the head so he could not be resuscitated.

Quackenbush faces a first-degree premeditated murder with a firearm charge.

VIDEO: Behavioral health facility employee fatally shot in Melbourne, suspect in custody, police say

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