Sheriff: shooting leaves 1 dead and 2 wounded inside crashed vehicle
A person is dead and two are critically injured after a shooting in Poinciana Thursday, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said at a press conference.
At 4:15 p.m. deputies responded to a home in the Sawfish Drive area in regards to a shooting that led to a car breaking through a fence and crashing into a house, Judd said. When deputies arrived they found a man fatally shot in the yard and two others suffering from gunshot wounds.
Witnesses told investigators the suspect, Derek “Ice” Bacote, was upset with one of the house guests and showed up after being provoked over the phone. When he arrived, Bacote punched a man and pulled out a firearm.
One of the victims pulled out a gun and fired at Bacote, who turned around and fired toward a vehicle, according to authorities.
Four adults and four children were at the residence during the crossfire.
Judd said the children were inside, while the gunshots were fired outside of the home.
Two victims were shot inside the vehicle and were airlifted to the nearest hospital in critical condition, according to Judd. Bacote was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to Judd, the residence was also the scene of an assault and burglary last week.
The man who lives there told deputies his friend beat him and stole his two firearms and television on Sunday, Judd said.
On Monday, deputies arrested his friend in the Haines City area and charged him with home invasion burglary, resisting arrest, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.
Judd said it’s unclear if the incidents are related. Investigators are hearing reports that the men are possibly members of the same gang, he said.
“We don’t know at this point if it’s a loose group of friends that happen to be in a gang and it’s a fuss just over a girl,” he said. “We don’t know at this point if it’s retaliation for reporting the burglary and the theft of the firearms on Sunday and that’s why this occurred.”
Judd said there’s no evidence to believe the community is in any danger following the shooting.
The identities of the victims have not been released.
This is an ongoing investigation.