Melbourne, FL – A Mother’s Day weekend turned deadly in Downtown Melbourne when 19-year-old Nathaniel Bernard Jennings, a promising University of Northwestern football player, was shot and killed outside the Neon Rodeo bar early on May 11, 2025. The suspect, 24-year-old Stephan Dieujuste, has been charged with manslaughter, a decision rooted in a detailed police investigation that unfolded in the hours following the incident.
Jennings, a defensive lineman from Palm Bay, had signed with the University of Northwestern in Roseville, Minnesota, in February 2024 after a standout high school career at Heritage High School. Home for the weekend to celebrate Mother’s Day with his family, his night out in Melbourne’s vibrant downtown ended in tragedy. At approximately 0151 hours, Melbourne Police dispatch received reports of a shooting incident in the area of 2009 Vernon Place. Uniformed officers working nearby reported hearing 4-5 gunshots and responded swiftly. Upon arrival at 829 E. New Haven Avenue, near Neon Rodeo, officers found Jennings with several injuries consistent with gunshots. They provided medical care until Emergency Medical Services (EMS) arrived, but Jennings was transported to Holmes Regional Medical Center (HRMC), where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at 0224 hours by Doctor B. Warren.
The sequence of events began earlier that evening when Dieujuste arrived in downtown Melbourne after a phone call from his cousin, Demetrius Robinson. The two visited several bars, but were denied entry to the Debauchery bar at 807 E. New Haven Avenue, as it was within 30 minutes of closing time. Demetrius and Dieujuste then walked to the intersection of Vernon Place and New Haven Avenue, where they stopped to speak with several girls. During the conversation, Dieujuste realized he lacked his firearm, stating, “Cause if I can’t get into the club and I’m just outside, I have to have my gun on me.” He retrieved it from his vehicle parked at 2009 Vernon Place, placed it in his pocket, and returned to continue talking with the girls.
The confrontation escalated when a man Dieujuste knew approached and “dabbed him up.” Dieujuste recognized the unknown subject but didn’t know his name, later identified as being with Nathaniel Jennings, whom Dieujuste didn’t know during the incident. Dieujuste claimed the unknown subject was Jennings’ cousin. He stated that Jennings was immediately confrontational, threatening to give his people Dieujuste’s location. Dieujuste began walking backwards towards his parked car, opposite Jennings, who tried to lure him into a back alley for a potential confrontation. As Dieujuste retreated, Jennings shouted, “You going to die right now, you going to die today.”
