Players Championship Golf Tournament Delayed After Double Homicide

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL. (THECOUNT) — Two people have been shot and killed in the parking lot of a Walgreens in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, and a suspect is in custody, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office said Saturday. The victims’ names have not been released pending next of kin notification. The incident caused The Players Championship to delay opening its gates to spectators on Saturday morning.

The two victims were shot multiple times while in a vehicle in the parking lot of the Walgreens located at the corner of Palm Valley Road in Ponte Vedra Beach. Both victims were transported to a local hospital, where they were pronounced dead.

St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick identified the suspect as Christian Joseph Barrios. He was 32 years old, and turned 32 on Saturday, the day of his arrest. Sheriff Hardwick said neither the suspect nor the victims were residents of St. Johns County.

The shooting occurred at approximately 10:30 p.m. on Friday, March 13. Deputies responded after the Sheriff’s Office received multiple 911 calls reporting shots fired. Sheriff Hardwick described the incident as domestic violence-related and said Barrios knew both victims.

Following the shooting, canine units with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office tracked Barrios onto the property of TPC Sawgrass, home of The Players Championship PGA Tour event, located approximately one mile from the Walgreens. While on the golf course property, Barrios made contact with multiple PGA Tour staff members, picked up a PGA Tour radio, and later dropped it. Authorities said he may have touched other items on the property before fleeing the area.

Barrios then allegedly carjacked a black BMW near the TPC Sawgrass property. Nassau County law enforcement located the vehicle and pursued it. The BMW crashed into a wooded area in Nassau County, and Barrios fled on foot before being taken into custody just before 8 a.m. Saturday.

Sheriff Hardwick said Barrios has a lengthy criminal history with at least 27 prior arrests and was on probation at the time of the shooting. The sheriff stated that Barrios was out of prison again on probation committing another violent felony, and that families would mourn two people shot and killed in a Walgreens parking lot over a domestic violence situation.

Players Championship Delayed

The PGA Tour cited “operational considerations” in announcing that gates would not open until 9 a.m. ET. Third-round tee times were not impacted, with play beginning as scheduled. All on-course hospitality venues delayed opening until 11 a.m. The PGA Tour released a statement saying it had worked closely with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and appreciated the coordination and partnership from Sheriff Hardwick and his team.

About Ponte Vedra Beach and St. Johns County

Ponte Vedra Beach is an unincorporated coastal community in St. Johns County, Florida, located approximately 20 miles southeast of Jacksonville. St. Johns County is part of the Jacksonville metropolitan area in northeastern Florida. TPC Sawgrass, home of The Players Championship, is one of the most recognized golf venues in the United States and is located on Palm Valley Road in Ponte Vedra Beach. Nassau County, where Barrios was apprehended, is located in the far northeastern corner of Florida, approximately one hour north of TPC Sawgrass.

The investigation remains ongoing. The identities of the two victims have not been released by authorities at this time.

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