Overview:

Akeem Moore spent his life serving his church and community. Police say that even after being shot, he drove his passenger to safety. Now a murder indictment brings his family closer to justice, though questions remain.

Even after he was shot, Akeem Moore was trying to save someone else’s life.

The 31-year-old Florida worship minister, mortally wounded when a gunman opened fire on his car, managed to drive himself and his passenger to a nearby fire station. Moore died at a hospital, but his passenger survived.

RELATED: 500 Voices, One Mission: Keep Baltimore’s Gospel Legacy Alive

Now, more than a month after the killing, a Palm Beach County grand jury has indicted Hugh Earp Milner Jr. on first-degree murder and other charges. Police believe Milner may have mistaken Moore’s passenger for his former girlfriend, making the death of the beloved preacher and musician an especially tragic case of apparent mistaken identity.

For Moore’s family, the indictment is a step toward justice, but it cannot explain away the loss of a young minister whose life revolved around faith, music and service.

Authorities arrested Hugh Earp Milner Jr., 38, in Broward County. He faces charges of first-degree murder with a firearm, attempted first-degree murder with a firearm and shooting into an occupied vehicle. Authorities have not publicly established a motive, but have called it a possible case of mistaken identity. 

For Mount Calvary, Moore’s death leaves a silence at the organ and a gap in the work he shared with others. Earl Harris, a maintenance worker at the church, told WPTV⁠ that Moore brought different songs to the choir and strengthened its Sunday music. The church remembered his dedication to study, preaching, and service. 

His reach extended beyond Mount Calvary. Pastor Bryce Graham of Anointed House of Prayer Ministries told news station WPBF⁠ that he and Moore became friends through their shared faith. Graham recalled Moore’s music and preaching, as well as his community outreach and care for grieving families. 

Moore’s older brother, Tyquaris Dudley, told WPTV that he admired and looked up to Moore. 

Webb said the family wants people to remember how Moore ministered, served and loved. Those memories now sit beside an unanswered question about his death. 

Police ask anyone with information to contact the West Palm Beach Police Department or Palm Beach County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-TIPS (8477).