Co-workers remember Arcadia shooting victim as 'always happy' person

ARCADIA, Fla. (WINK) — Police have identified the two victims in a double homicide that occurred on April 17, 2026, at the Jacaranda Trail Apartments. Eric Robinson shot and killed Tanika Summers in a domestic dispute, then shot and killed Barbara Bates, an elderly woman who was on the phone with 911 when she was killed.

According to the Arcadia Police Department, Bates was actively speaking with a 911 operator when she witnessed Robinson shoot Summers. Bates told the operator that Robinson was actively shooting at her.

Bates was later struck by gunfire while inside her residence. Evidence indicates she was shot at twice through her bedroom window, resulting in her death.

The arrest report for Robinson said that leading up to the shooting, he held Summer at knife point. The daughter of the two went and grabbed a gun in an attempt to protect her mother. Robinson wrestled the gun from his daughter, promised not to hurt Summer and told his daughter to leave. He threatened that if she told anyone, he would kill Summers, then commit suicide.

The report continues and says witnesses saw Summers pleading with Robinson before he shot her multiple times, then ran away. Witnesses heard the shots and ran to a nearby maintenance closet to hide.

The report says when police arrested Robinson, he made illogical statements and said: “he received a phone call from President Trump and made a statement about the ongoing conflict in Palestine”.

Robinson remains in custody without bond and is currently facing two counts of first-degree murder (premeditated), two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon (firearm/knife), possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, shooting into a dwelling, violation of an injunction for protection against domestic violence and false imprisonment.

In August of 2025, Summers filed a protective order against Robinson so he couldn’t contact her at home or her place of work.

"She never spoke about it," said Megan Albritton, the owner of Hello Beautiful, the salon where Sumers worked as a massage therapist. "She never came in here with domestic violence talks or marks on her or anything. I would've never assumed."

Summers started part-time at the salon, filling in for Adaimys Cardenas, a massage therapist who needed knee surgery. Summers worked to build her client list and get her own room at Hello Beautiful to provide services.

When Summer brought her items to the salon in early 2025, Robinson helped her move in.

"He says hi, but I didn't expect that he would do something like that," Cardenas said. "Now, after it happened, I hear a lot of bad stuff about him."

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Albritton only met Robinson that once, but knew they were “on and off again”.

“ He came in and moved her massage table for her,” Albritton said. “That was the only time that I had really spoken to him.”

Albritton said she got the call Friday morning that Summers had been killed.

“She told me Tanika's gone. And I said, "What are you talking about? And she said, Tanika is, is gone. There was an accident that happened this morning, and I instinctively thought it was a car accident,” said Albritton, unaware of any history of domestic violence.

“When I found out, I was heartbroken because she was such a good person,” said Albritton, teary-eyed. “She's one of those people who is literally always happy no matter what circumstance she's put in. She was a good person.”

Cardenas knew Summers as she went through school for massage therapy.

“ I always start, girl, you can do it. She does it. She's making her clients really quickly,” said Cardenas. “ They love her. They love her job. She was an amazing woman. She doesn't deserve what happened to her at all.”

While their friendship was mostly professional, Cardenas was shocked to learn of her fellow massage therapist’s death. A woman she described as  an amazing person and a beautiful soul was suddenly gone.

“I just go missing her passing over her door and thinking that she is not here anymore. It's hard,” said Cardenas, explaining she canceled her clients on the Friday after finding out. “Nobody can believe it. You still can't believe it. It's like a nightmare, but it's life.”

Co-workers tell WINK News that Summers had been working to earn a home for her and her daughter through Habitat for Humanity. She was days away from getting the keys.

“ It was awful. It was absolutely awful. She had a whole life ahead of her,” said Albritton. “Everybody loved her. She was an auntie to people who weren't blood-related. She was everybody looked up to her, and for her to just be gone.”

The staff at Hello Beautiful are hoping the community comes together to support Summer’s daughter as she works to get through nursing school.