TLDR
Prosecutors in St. Johns County, Florida, have charged 32-year-old Christian Barrios with first-degree murder after a March 13th, 2026, shooting outside a Walgreens in Ponte Vedra Beach that killed Melissa Wood and her boyfriend, Jason Chatham. The late-night gunfire outside a coastal Walgreens in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, was over in seconds. The fallout is now moving through the courts. A 32-year-old man already on probation is jailed, accused of killing his former partner and her new boyfriend in the parking lot.
Charges Detail Alleged Ambush Outside Walgreens
Investigators say deputies were dispatched around 10:30 p.m. to the Walgreens at Palm Valley Road and the A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Byway after multiple 911 callers reported shots fired in the parking lot. Responding deputies found 46-year-old Melissa Wood and 42-year-old Jason Chatham critically wounded.
Both victims, who lived in nearby Atlantic Beach, were taken to local hospitals, where they were pronounced dead, Sheriff Rob Hardwick said in a news conference reported by Jacksonville television outlet WJXT. Barrios was not at the scene when deputies arrived.
Investigators Cite Jealousy Motive and Mother’s Account
Detectives allege the shooting stemmed from Barrios’ anger over Wood’s relationship with Chatham. In an arrest warrant described by WJXT and obtained by Law & Crime, investigators wrote that Barrios asked his mother to drive him to the location where he believed Wood would be meeting another man.
According to the charging document, Barrios rode in the back seat of his mother’s car. She told deputies that when they arrived, her son spotted Wood’s vehicle and “frantically jumped out” before she suddenly heard a burst of gunfire and called 911.
Probation Status Raises Questions About Supervision
The sheriff has publicly described Barrios as a known repeat offender and noted that he was on probation at the time, according to Law & Crime’s summary of Hardwick’s remarks. The new case also includes a firearms charge that alleges Barrios illegally possessed a gun as a convicted felon.
After the Walgreens shooting, investigators say Barrios fled the area and was tracked by K-9 units onto a nearby golf course. He was arrested the following day in Nassau County, authorities say, after allegedly stealing a BMW, crashing the vehicle, and running into nearby woods before being taken into custody.
Barrios is being held in jail while the case moves through Florida’s courts. Publicly available reports do not yet describe his plea or any scheduled trial date. If convicted of first-degree murder, he could face a life sentence under Florida law.
