The knock on the door that morning was meant to be ordinary, a routine civil‑process call, nothing more.
Minutes later, a dedicated law‑enforcement officer lay mortally wounded on a quiet suburban lawn, and a community’s sense of safety was shattered forever.
On November 21, 2025, deputies from the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office (IRCSO) arrived at a gated, beachside community — the Bermuda Club — to serve an eviction notice to 37‑year-old Michael Halberstam, at the request of his mother.
Eviction notices, while emotionally fraught for residents, are part of standard civil‑process procedures that deputies handle regularly.
This day, however, would be one of the deadliest in the county’s recent history.
Accompanying the deputies was a licensed locksmith, a standard precaution to manage locks and ensure the eviction could be executed safely under Florida law.
When the team approached Halberstam’s residence and entered the entryway, the situation escalated in a horrifying instant.
According to law‑enforcement reports, Halberstam allegedly pulled a firearm and opened fire without warning.
The initial burst of bullets instantly shattered the calm morning, turning what should have been a paper‑heavy administrative task into a scene of chaos and tragedy.
