Police say the 29-year-old suspect was arrested within minutes after fleeing across the DeSoto Bridge toward Palmetto.
BRADENTON, FL — A hospital security guard is accused of walking into a medical lab Thursday afternoon and fatally shooting his former girlfriend at her desk, then wounding a coworker before driving away and being stopped by officers minutes later, Bradenton police said.
Authorities identified the suspect as Keith Roberts Jr., 29, and the woman killed as Myshaela Burnham, 29. Police said Roberts faces counts of first-degree murder with a firearm and attempted first-degree murder with a firearm. Investigators described the attack as targeted and said it happened just before 1 p.m. inside a lab office on the 5200 block of 4th Avenue Circle East. The second woman, an employee who witnessed the shooting, underwent surgery and was listed in stable condition Friday. The case is in its early stages, with detectives reviewing witness statements, security footage and ballistics while prosecutors prepare formal filings.
Police Chief Josh Cramer said Roberts entered through an unlocked door shortly after 12:45 p.m. and went directly to Burnham’s workstation. Cramer said Roberts fired a shotgun at close range, then used a handgun as panic spread through the small office. “The cruelty and evil that Keith Roberts portrayed yesterday can never be forgiven,” Cramer said, calling the witnesses who quickly shared vehicle details with 911 “heroes.” Patrol units broadcast the description, and officers reported seeing a matching car headed north over the DeSoto Bridge. Roberts was detained near the Palmetto convention center shortly before 6 p.m., according to police, and taken to the Manatee County jail.
Investigators said Roberts and Burnham had been in a long-term relationship that ended within the past month. Police said Burnham died at the scene despite rapid aid from first responders who arrived within minutes of the first calls at 12:48 p.m. The wounded coworker was struck multiple times and is expected to face a long recovery, police said. The lab, which processes medical tests, has no exterior sign, and detectives said there was no indication of a broader threat to patients or other offices in the complex. The department has not released the second victim’s name. No officers discharged their weapons during the arrest, and police reported seizing both a shotgun and a handgun connected to the crime.
Records show Roberts worked as a security guard at Manatee Memorial Hospital at the time of the shooting. Police said several employees inside the lab and nearby offices provided consistent accounts of the sequence of gunfire and the suspect’s rapid exit. Call logs indicated the first 911 report came from inside the suite, followed by multiple calls from neighboring units describing a man leaving in a dark sedan. Traffic cameras on State Road 64 helped guide officers toward the DeSoto Bridge, where a stop was made within about twenty two minutes of the initial dispatch. Detectives said they are still determining how many rounds were fired and which shots struck each victim, pending medical examiner findings and laboratory tests.
Domestic homicides tied to breakups have drawn increased attention in Manatee County in recent years, according to police, who noted that workplace shootings involving intimate partners often unfold quickly and end before officers arrive. Thursday’s attack is the first fatal shooting reported at the 4th Avenue Circle East complex in the past year. The lab’s management has not commented publicly, and the hospital where Roberts worked said employment records would be turned over to investigators upon request. Neighbors described hearing several sharp blasts, then seeing employees run from the building while officers established a perimeter around the parking lot and adjacent offices.
Roberts made an initial appearance in Manatee County court Friday. A judge ordered him held without bond pending a pretrial detention hearing scheduled for Jan. 23 at 8:30 a.m. Prosecutors will present charging documents, evidence summaries and any witness statements already collected. Police said the investigation remains active, with search warrants pending for the vehicle and electronic devices. Additional charges could be added as forensic results arrive from the state crime lab. The medical examiner is expected to release a full autopsy report in the coming weeks. Funeral arrangements for Burnham have not yet been announced.
Outside the complex Friday morning, a small memorial of flowers and candles formed near the building’s doorway. Several lab employees returned to retrieve personal items while escorted by officers. “We lost a friend who made this place feel like family,” one worker said, declining to give her name. Another employee said the wounded coworker had undergone surgery and was able to speak briefly with relatives. Drivers passing on State Road 64 slowed as patrol cars remained posted at the entrance. By midday, crime scene tape had been removed and the lot was quiet except for a single maintenance truck.
As of Sunday afternoon, Roberts remained in the Manatee County jail and detectives were continuing interviews with witnesses who had left the scene during the chaos. Police said their next public update would follow any new court filings or the Jan. 23 detention hearing.
Author note: Last updated January 18, 2026.