Investigators say the suspect, a 62-year-old neighbor, died after a standoff and self-inflicted gunshot wound.
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Police on Wednesday released the names of two men shot and killed during a dispute inside the Tropical East community, identifying the victims as Mark D. Golden, 54, and David W. Gasik, 75. The suspect, neighbor Paul Maraio, 62, died early Tuesday after barricading himself following the attack, authorities said.
Officials said the case centers on a long-running clash among neighbors and the homeowners association inside the gated Tropical East community east of U.S. 1. The violence, which unfolded Monday afternoon, left two residents dead in separate homes and triggered a shelter-in-place order, a hostage crisis, and a multi-hour police operation. Detectives now say disturbances between Maraio and HOA members had been documented before the shootings. The investigation remains active as police map out the timeline, gather statements from residents, and piece together a motive that may have included an impending eviction order.
Police said the first 911 calls came around 3:15 p.m. Monday from Southeast Tropical East Circle, reporting gunfire and two people down. Officers arriving at the age-restricted community found one man fatally wounded near his home and a second victim dead at another address nearby. Investigators later identified the men as Golden and Gasik, both Port St. Lucie residents. As officers searched the neighborhood, they learned the suspected shooter had run into a third home and taken a woman hostage. SWAT and crisis negotiators moved in, neighbors were told to stay inside, and the residential streets filled with armored vehicles and patrol cars. “There were multiple neighbors out in the area, and we had two people shot in two locations and a suspect at large,” Police Chief Leo Niemczyk said.
Negotiators spent more than two hours speaking with Maraio. About an hour into the standoff, the woman he was holding — identified by neighbors as 77-year-old Suzanne Rothermel — was released unharmed. Rothermel later told local reporters she had feared the suspect could “snap,” describing tension that had simmered on the block. Inside the home, police said Maraio remained armed and barricaded. He eventually told officers he had shot himself in the chest. A drone sent into the residence located him and confirmed the injury; SWAT officers then entered, secured the scene and turned him over to medics. He was airlifted to a hospital and pronounced dead shortly before 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, police said. The two homicide victims were declared dead at their homes on Monday.
By Wednesday, detectives publicly identified Golden and Gasik and clarified the suspected roots of the conflict. Golden served as treasurer on the Tropical East HOA board, according to police, and had hired legal counsel alongside other board members. Records reviewed by investigators show a judge had ordered Maraio to vacate his home by Dec. 14, the latest step in an eviction case tied to the HOA. Gasik was not on the board; police said his wife is the board’s secretary. Authorities said Maraio is believed to have confronted the two men at their residences before fleeing to Rothermel’s home. The exact sequence of shots inside each residence and the type of firearm used have not been released. Police said no other residents were physically hurt during the incident.
Officers closed off Southeast Tropical East Circle as tactical units staged near cul-de-sacs and driveways. Nearby Mariposa Elementary kept 14 children in aftercare inside the building until police declared the area safe, the chief said. Forensics teams processed at least three scenes: the two homes where the men were killed and the residence where the hostage standoff ended. Detectives canvassed the community for doorbell and security camera footage and took formal statements from neighbors who had reported earlier disruptions. Police would not describe prior calls for service in detail but said there were “documented disturbances” involving Maraio and at least one victim in the months before Monday’s shootings.
Neighbors described a quiet, close-knit development suddenly gripped by sirens and loudspeakers. Rothermel, who said she knew both men, called them “kind people” who tried to help others in the community. Tropical East sits just south of Southeast Mariposa Avenue and east of U.S. 1 on the city’s east side, where single-story homes line short loops. Residents, many of them retirees, gathered behind crime-scene tape as officers moved through driveways with rifles and shields. Some told reporters they had worried tensions could boil over after arguments related to HOA matters. Police have not released 911 audio or the contents of the negotiations; they said those records will be reviewed as part of standard use-of-force and critical-incident protocols.
Investigators said they are building a full timeline to present to prosecutors and the medical examiner. Autopsies for Golden and Gasik are pending, as is a final determination from the medical examiner on Maraio’s death, listed by police as self-inflicted. Detectives are also gathering court filings and HOA notices tied to the eviction proceeding and will examine any weapons recovered from the scenes. Police said they plan to release additional updates after evidence is processed and interviews are completed. The chief scheduled a news conference for Thursday morning to address the latest findings and to answer questions about prior contacts police may have had at the address.
City leaders expressed condolences and thanked residents for cooperating with the shelter-in-place order. Officers went door to door as the standoff unfolded to make sure people stayed inside. The Police Department’s crisis negotiation team coordinated with SWAT, patrol, and drone operators to monitor Maraio’s movements inside the home and reduce risk for officers and civilians. “Something just brought our suspect to the edge,” Niemczyk said, emphasizing that investigators are still determining what led to Monday’s killings. By nightfall, crime-scene vans remained at the cul-de-sacs while technicians photographed bullet strikes and collected casings.
As of Wednesday evening, Tropical East remained calm, with patrols continuing and investigators returning to confirm statements and check camera angles. Police said their next milestone is compiling a comprehensive incident report and forwarding evidence to state prosecutors and the medical examiner. A full investigative briefing is expected Thursday at 9 a.m. The names of the deceased victims have been entered into public records, and the department said further updates will clarify the chronology, any additional witnesses and the legal status of the related HOA case.
Author note: Last updated November 13, 2025.