Man claims self-defense in shooting near Pine Hills

Orlando police are investigating after a man said he shot another man in self-defense in the parking lot of a shopping center near Pine Hills on Friday night.

The incident unfolded about 6:45 p.m. at Rosemont Village Shoppes Plaza on Pine Hills Road.

Police said the first man shot the other man one or two times in the torso.

The injured man tried to drive away but crashed his vehicle as he was leaving the parking lot near the Walgreens at Pine Hills Road and North Lane, Orlando Police Lt. Daniel Brady said. He was taken to a hospital in stable condition.

The armed man stayed at the scene and told police he fired in self-defense, Brady said.

It’s unclear what led to the shooting. Police said they are not looking for any other suspects.

The entire shopping plaza, which contains a Family Dollar and Walgreens, was surrounded by crime scene tape as officers investigated.

A manager at a nearby convenience store, who did not want to be named for fear of retribution, said he heard at least four or five gunshots then saw the crash.

He went outside to see what happened and found the man slumped over in a white car. The man in the car, wearing a white T-shirt, was bleeding heavily as officers tried to tend to his wounds.

Bullet holes can be seen in the windows, including one in the driver’s side.

“It was crazy, but we see stuff like this over here all the time,” the manager said. “I mean, I hear gunfire most nights.”

Surveillance footage captured at the convenience store shows the moment when the injured man’s car drifts into oncoming traffic, crashing head-on into a woman’s car.

Anyone with information in this incident is asked to call Crimeline at 800-423-8477.