Bay County Sheriff’s Office Arrests Two in Panama City Shooting of Seven-Year-Old

BAY COUNTY, FL – The Bay County Sheriff’s Office reported a tense confrontation in Panama City that escalated into a dangerous pursuit, leaving a seven-year-old child injured and culminating in the arrest of 32-year-old Sammie Lee Underwood III.  The incident unfolded on August 9, 2025, when the Bay County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of gunfire along 15th Street. Shortly after 911 calls flooded in, authorities discovered that a young child had been rushed to a local hospital with a gunshot wound.

The investigation revealed a harrowing sequence of events. Underwood confronted his ex-girlfriend at a local establishment, prompting her to flee with her two young children in her vehicle. Undeterred, Underwood gave chase, attempting to force their car off the road. When his efforts failed, he resorted to firing multiple rounds from a handgun out of his vehicle’s window, targeting the family’s car as it sped through Panama City.

In a desperate bid to escape, the mother attempted a U-turn on 15th Street. Underwood fired another shot, which pierced the vehicle and struck the seven-year-old in the back. Despite the chaos, the mother managed to call for help and rushed her injured child to a hospital. Meanwhile, Underwood fled the scene, abandoning his vehicle in Callaway and going into hiding.

The Bay County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division worked tirelessly over several days to track him down. On August 11, 2025, their persistence paid off when investigators spotted Underwood leaving an apartment in Callaway and entering a vehicle. In a coordinated effort, the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division, SWAT team, and the United States Marshals Service executed a vehicle takedown, apprehending Underwood without incident. A search revealed he was carrying fentanyl, hydrocodone, OxyContin, methamphetamine, and a small amount of marijuana.

Further investigation uncovered the involvement of 31-year-old Ricki Brown of Panama City. Brown had aided Underwood’s escape by driving him away from the scene, allowing him to hide at her residence, and helping him dispose of the firearm used in the shooting. She was arrested the same day as Underwood.

Underwood now faces a litany of serious charges, including four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, discharging a firearm from a vehicle and into an occupied conveyance, tampering with evidence, grand theft of a firearm, felon in possession of a firearm, multiple drug possession charges, and hit and run for leaving the scene of an accident. Brown faces charges of accessory after the fact to a second-degree felony, violation of probation, and possession of a small amount of marijuana.

The seven-year-old victim is recovering from the injuries, offering a glimmer of hope amid this disturbing incident.