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Cops: Suspect Shot, Killed Man Before Taking Own Life

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla.,None — Altamonte Springs police said a suspect took his own life minutes after fatally shooting another man in an apartment complex parking lot early Sunday morning.

Authorities said 24-year-old Franklin Neff was killed in the parking lot at the Glades Apartments off of Jamestown Boulevard.

Police said it all started after a fight at a party, and the suspect took off and later killed himself.

Police said at around 3:30am on Sunday Zachariah Walker shot Neff.

A woman near the scene heard one shot go off.

"It was like a high-pitched one though. It wasn't shotgun sounding," said Saige Serrano, a resident.

Then she witnessed people take off from the parking lot, where police said Neff was killed.

"I saw two guys running in this area, and they ran into their apartment building," said Serrano.

Police said Walker also ran from the scene and so they rushed to the apartments. When an officer spotted him on the sidewalk and ordered him to drop the gun, he raised it to the side of his head and pulled the trigger, police said.

"This was a new officer. Very, very new. So to see something like that is obviously hard, but it could have turned out differently. If he was able to shoot himself in the head what's to say he couldn't have done the same thing to the officer," said Tim Hyer, of the Altamonte Springs Police Department.

Police said they think Walker left the party, then returned with the gun to shoot Neff. Their relationship isn't known.

Police shut down part of Jamestown Boulevard in front of the complex during the investigation.

Neighbors told WFTV that it's a nice place to live.

"This could happen anywhere. Literally it has. This is Florida for heaven's sakes," said Nancy Whiting, a resident.

WFTV tried to get Neff's family for comment, but were unsuccessful.

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