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PANAMA CITY, Fla. (DailyKenn.com) — A 57-year-old mental health counselor was gunned down in her car last week in what authorities described as a tragic case of mistaken identity, leaving a tight-knit community reeling from the loss of a dedicated advocate for those battling addiction and mental illness.
Tammy Robinson Chambers, a Lynn Haven resident originally from Columbia, Mississippi, was leaving her job at Emerald Coast Behavioral Hospital on the evening of Nov. 11 when the violence erupted. Around 7:30 p.m., as she sat in her vehicle near the intersection of Jenks Avenue and 10th Street, Chambers was on the phone with her husband, Mark, casually asking, "What do you want me to bring home for dinner?" Moments later, gunfire shattered the ordinary exchange. Mark heard multiple shots and his wife's final, labored breaths before the line went dead. Chambers, who had moved to the Florida Panhandle in 1990 and built a career counseling patients through substance abuse and anger management programs, was struck several times and died at the scene despite emergency efforts.
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Panama City police quickly pieced together that Chambers was not the intended target in a brewing confrontation between rival groups. Investigators believe the shooters, seeking retribution in an unrelated dispute, mistook her silver sedan for a vehicle belonging to a man they had been tracking. Within 48 hours, three suspects were in custody: 18-year-old Davion Sutton, accused of firing the fatal shots after recently being released from prison on a prior attempted murder conviction; 16-year-old Uriah Armstead, Sutton's associate with his own history of juvenile offenses; and Armstead's 33-year-old mother, Kamilah Armstead, charged with helping destroy evidence and harbor the teens post-shooting. All face murder charges, with Sutton additionally hit with felon-in-possession counts. Prosecutors have signaled support for the death penalty, citing the premeditated nature of the attack despite the youthful ages of two defendants.
Eyewitness accounts were sparse, but coworkers provided heartbreaking context. Lakiela Ross, a colleague of nearly 15 years, had parted ways with Chambers just minutes earlier outside the hospital, exchanging "I love yous" after a day spent co-leading support sessions. Ross later described the shock of learning her friend was gone, calling her a "selfless soul" who always prioritized others.
The slaying has drawn widespread grief in Bay County, where Chambers was remembered as a family woman—survived by her husband, son Connor, and siblings—and a pillar in recovery circles. On Nov. 18, seven close friends gathered at a park for an impromptu vigil, sharing stories of her infectious laugh, Mississippi-rooted warmth and unwavering faith, symbolized by a Bible verse on unconditional love that adorned her office desk alongside family photos and therapy tools. "She was the one who held us up when we couldn't," said friend Adrian Cook, voice breaking. Police Chief J. Mark Smith echoed the sentiment in a Nov. 13 briefing, praising Chambers' community impact and vowing justice: "This senseless act has shattered lives, but we'll ensure accountability behind concrete and bars."
Chambers' public funeral drew hundreds to Hiland Park Baptist Church on Nov. 21, with a GoFundMe campaign raising thousands for her family's expenses. As the investigation continues, residents have rallied with calls for youth intervention programs, hoping to prevent another "what if" from turning deadly.
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