LAKE MARY, Fla. — Many in the music community are mourning the death of a local musician killed by an alligator.
Florida Fish and Wildlife officers say Steven Hamilton was fishing on Friday when an alligator attacked him at a park in Winter Garden.
Christine Pompilio says musicians in Central Florida are sad, after 71-year-old Steven Hamilton was killed by a gator. “We were shocked because it’s such a tragic event, and he was well known in the music industry here in the Orlando area for almost 40 years.”
Pompilio, who is managing partner at Jax 5th Avenue in Lake Mary, says he played there a few times. “The band was the Bone Bros Band. He was very, very talented, played different instruments, and like I said, would share all that knowledge with everybody that came along and joined in.”
Back in 2020, Pompilio says she helped his band organize a memorial at Jax, after one of his bandmates died.
After that, she says Steven stopped performing there. “He was in his retirement just spending his afternoon fishing, and you know, they’re shocked. They’re sad.”
Witnesses at the park say Hamilton was an avid fisherman and had just reeled in a catch when the gator attacked him on Friday evening at Dr Bradford Memorial Park.
Beatrice Soto says, “He caught a bass. He held it up for whoever it was to take a picture of him, and the gator came up and grabbed him by the leg and pulled him in.”
Pompilio says one of Hamilton’s band members has been trying to contact Hamilton’s family to send condolences. She plans to have a memorial at Jax, for musicians and fans to remember Hamilton. “He was just such a kind soul, kind-hearted man, very generous with his time, as I said with other musicians, so I think he’ll be really missed in the in the community.”
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