‘He is likely the first individual to fire a gun’: Pensacola police arrest two people in connection to Sunday’s downtown shooting.

‘He is likely the first individual to fire a gun’: Pensacola police arrest two people in connection to Sunday’s downtown shooting.

PENSACOLA, Fla. (WALA) - 26-year-old Nicholas Safford and 25-year-old Lillian Meyers both appeared before a judge after being charged in connection to Sunday morning’s shooting that killed 19-year-old Phillip Sheppard Jr. The shooting also injured six others. Investigators say forensic evidence now points to at least three weapons being fired with Safford likely pulling the trigger first.

“He is likely the first individual to fire a gun, it’s highly possible he is the first person to produce a gun. He is charged with aggravated assault because he raised the gun up and individuals were in fear for their safety,” said Pensacola Police Chief Eric Winstrom.

Chief Eric Winstrom says Safford is from the Mobile area though Jail records list a Daphne address. He says Safford is convicted felon. During his initial hearing, the state attorney’s office said Safford has at least one confirmed drug felony in Alabama along with several other drug related arrests. Pensacola police are investigating possible gang connections.

“He definitely has those same connections,” said Chief Winstrom. “Some of them, not all six have connections to individuals which are documented gang members, self-admitted gang members so the connection is there but not ready to say these involved individuals are gang members.”

Investigators say Safford handed the gun to Meyers who the state attorney’s office says is Safford’s girlfriend. Police say she took the gun and ran from the scene. Meyers faces charges of obstructing justice for tampering with evidence. The deadly shooting and earlier fights that night have sparked talk of a potential curfew for minors. Mayor D.C. Reeves says most of the discussion centers around what would happen if someone broke curfew.

“Those are the complexities of the conversation,” said Mayor D.C. Reeves. “Is it arrest, is it being able to drive a 13 or 14-year-old home that’s unsupervised late at night, those are the dynamics we want to work through.”

Investigators are still working to determine who fired the shot that killed Sheppard, but Chief Winstrom says getting Safford and Meyers off the street is a step in the right direction.

“Retaliation is always a concern for us when an incident like this happens so that’s why number one it’s very important to get these individuals involved, at least three shooters off the street as soon as possible making sure they’re not out looking for additional targets,” said Chief Winstrom.

Meyers’ bond was set at $15,000, $7,500 each for charges of public order crimes and obstructing justice, while Safford is being held on no bond for possessing a firearm while being a convicted felon. Anyone with any information on the shooting is asked to contact Pensacola Police. You can also report a tip anonymously by calling crime stoppers at 850-433-STOP.

Copyright 2026 WALA. All rights reserved.