7-Eleven shooting suspect nabbed
Facing attempted murder charge for July incident
A 39-year-old man was arrested Friday for shooting a 27-year-old man in a 7-Eleven parking lot in mid-July, a spokesperson for the Orlando Police Department said Monday.
Carlos Benjamin faces a charge of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm, an OPD spokesperson said.
The victim, who was named in an affidavit as Peter Woods, was shot July 17 at the 7-Eleven at 4355 Silver Star Road around 12:30 a.m. and found in critical condition by first responders at a nearby apartment complex.
The victim told officers he was sitting in his car when a four-door sedan parked next to him and multiple shooters began firing at him. Injured, he drove to 4534 Silver Star
Road before passing out.
He was shot nine times, an affidavit said.
Security footage helped officers identify the suspect’s car, which was found abandoned around three miles away from the 7-Eleven near the 800 block of Kensington Drive. Surveillance video from a nearby home showed two suspects getting out of the car and tossing a rifle into a trash can before running away.
Woods identified Benjamin as one of the suspects and showed an officer texts the two had exchanged. In the messages, Benjamin sent Woods photos of several firearms including a “unique rifle,” the affidavit said.
A search of Benjamin’s apartment revealed he owned a hidden 9mm handgun and ammunition, the OPD spokesperson said.
Benjamin was booked into the Orange County Jail without bond.