DAVENPORT, FL- The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is currently on the hunt for the individual or individuals responsible for a fatal shooting that took place at a Davenport Airbnb early Sunday morning. The incident resulted in the death of a man from Orlando and left a woman from Sanford injured.
The victims were part of a family from Orlando who had rented the Airbnb property to celebrate a one-year-old child’s birthday. The family, along with their invited guests, arrived at the home on Friday night, with the party commencing at around 3 p.m. on Saturday.
Grady Judd, the Polk County Sheriff, stated that the 27-year-old male victim received several phone calls late Saturday night. At approximately 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, he carried two plates of food out to a mid-sized vehicle parked on the street. After delivering the food, he was returning to the house when a series of gunshots were fired.
Sheriff Judd explained that the man attempted to seek refuge in the house, but the suspects, who were preparing to leave, reversed their vehicle. One of the suspects then proceeded to exit the vehicle and fired another round of shots at the victim.
Upon hearing the initial gunshots, a 26-year-old woman rushed to the door, only to be shot through it. Despite being hit in the thigh, she managed to open the door and pull the first victim inside the house. The suspects then made their escape from the neighborhood in their vehicle.
Deputies later discovered two plates of discarded food near the neighborhood’s entrance. Sheriff Judd expressed his confusion over the circumstances, questioning whether the food delivery was a ploy to lure the victim outside. The motive behind the shooting is not yet known, and it remains under investigation.
Sheriff Judd revealed that the suspects are believed to have fled in the direction of Orlando. Although the identities of the suspects are currently unknown, investigators have found two different shell casings from two separate firearms at the scene of the crime.
Sheriff Judd emphasized that this was not a typical house party shooting, noting that there had been a conversation between the victim and the suspects prior to the shooting. He appealed to the community for assistance in identifying and locating the suspects.