ORLANDO (FL)
WKMG - News 6 [Orlando FL]
May 30, 2025
By Haley Coomes
[See also the text of the lawsuit. The original article includes video of previous WKMG reports.]
Over a year after a Florida priest was shot and killed in Palm Bay, a law firm has announced a lawsuit against the Diocese of Orlando.
A January 2025 report suggests Father Robert “Bob” Hoeffner may have abused the gunman, but plenty of questions remain.
Below is a timeline of events:
JAN. 28, 2024
Palm Bay police responded to the 400 block of Forgal Avenue NE for a domestic disturbance.
Police said two officers were wounded in a standoff with 24-year-old Brandon Kapas, who had shot and killed two people in the home.
JAN. 29, 2024
The Diocese of Orlando announced that Father Robert “Bob” Hoeffner and his sister, Sally, were both “tragically murdered” in the shooting.
Police Chief Mariano Augello confirmed that one of Kapas’ victims in the shooting rampage was his grandfather, adding an arsenal of weapons was found in the vehicle Kapas had been driving, which was registered to the retired priest.
JAN. 30, 2024
Palm Bay Police continued to search for a motive in the shooting rampage.
News 6 spoke to neighbors of the Hoeffner family about the shooting, including one who said he’d seen Kapas at the house with Father Bob and his sister.
JAN. 30, 2025
A 76-page case report detailed the relationship between Father Bob Hoeffner and Kapas and the alleged sexual abuse.
The report detailed that Kapas and Hoeffner met when Hoeffner was a priest at St. Joseph Catholic School, where Kapas attended.
One of Kapas’ old classmates said that Hoeffner inappropriately touched him on three separate occasions, but couldn’t say if it ever happened to Kapas, too.
The night before the shooting, police said Kapas sent Hoeffner a text message that read in part, “You have woken up all of Egypt.. Ancient ones know what you have done..”
As police got to the crime scene, investigators went into the office at Hoeffner’s house where they said they found a folder with notes about abuse.
“There were 46 white pages of handwritten notes consisting of stories of child sexual abuse,” the report reads.
MAY 30, 2025
A man sued the Diocese of Orlando, alleging negligence in connection with the sexual abuse he suffered as a child at the hands of Hoeffner.
The complaint, filed by Herman Law, names several defendants, alleging that they failed to protect Shawn Teuber from sexual abuse perpetrated by Hoeffner.