Deputies: Orange County man arrested for fatally shooting girlfriend in back, claims ‘self-defense’

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Deputies in Orange County have arrested a man in connection with the shooting death of his girlfriend just after midnight on Sunday.

Deputies responded to the 2800 block of Smithfield Drive around 12:40 a.m. regarding a shooting. When deputies arrived, they located a woman who had been shot. The victim was transported to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

According to the police report, the shooting, Richard Raciak, remained at the scene and was arrested and charged with first-degree murder with a firearm.

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Raciak, 48, and the victim 46-year-old Allison Marie Sheehan were in a relationship with each other for approximately eight years, according to family members.

According to the arrest affidavit, Raciak called his father after the shooting and told him that he shot the victim in “self-defense.”

Raciak told deputies that he and the victim had been arguing and that the victim “came at” him and thought she was going to “claw his eyes out.”

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Raciak stated that he became “pissed” and wanted to “put her down” and had initially intended to “shoot her in the leg” so that she would “chill.”

The shooter then picked up his firearm and admitted that he shot the victim four times, the arrest report stated.

Investigators determined that the death of Sheehan was caused by the premeditated criminal act of Raciak.

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Raciak is being held on no bond in the Orange County Jail.

This remains an active and ongoing investigation.

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