Orange County Deputies following several leads on I-drive deadly armed robbery

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Investigators with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office told Channel 9’s Field Sutton on Friday that they are following up on several leads about an armed robbery that killed a Turkish professor.

Progress has been slow in developing a sketch of the man who killed a Turkish professor outside an International Drive hotel, investigators said.

Osman Darcan, 52, had just returned with his wife to the Wyndham Orlando Resort on International Drive at about 1:40 a.m. Thursday when they were approached by a man armed with a gun, deputies said.

The man tried to snatch the woman’s purse as she got out of the car, and when Darcan tried to intercede, the robber shot him.

"There was a struggle that ensued, and the male victim was shot and he was pronounced deceased on the scene," Orange County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Rose Silva said.

Darcan’s 44-year-old wife, who was not identified, was not injured in the robbery, but is still so distraught that producing a sketch of the shooter has been difficult, investigators said.

The shooter was described as a heavy-set, dark-skinned man of unknown race, with short bushy hair and eyebrows.

WATCH: Raw: Orange Co. deputies search for I-drive killer

He fled the scene in a reddish or orange vehicle with a black stripe on the side, investigators said.

Every business Eyewitness News went to said it didn’t have have cameras that would have caught the deadly shooting.

Darcan was a prominent professor at the Bogazici University in Turkey, where he worked in the school of applied science.

He’d been there since 1990, and the university said Friday that Darcan had completed groundbreaking work and research during his time there.

"We continue to work closely with the Turkish consulate as well. Our victim's advocate, tourism victim advocate has been working with the family,” said Capt. Angelo Nieves, with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

As a result of the shooting, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office stepped up patrols in the I-Drive area.

Though deputies say the area is one of the safest in Orange County, other tourists were shaken by the robbery and Darcan's death.

"Super shocking and quite obviously devastating," Tyran Cooper said.

.@OrangeCoSheriff hoping wife of man killed will be able to assist with sketch of suspect. #WFTV pic.twitter.com/MMV8eXqLxX

— Field Sutton (@FSuttonWFTV) September 8, 2016

The incident made Jessica Angelone, who was visiting from Sweden with her grandmother, question how safe she was staying in the I-Drive area.

"I am just here and I don't feel very safe," she said. "With my grandma, we are only two ... and to see (the shooting), it is very frightening."

The Orange County Sheriff's Office is encouraging visitors in the area of Thursday's shooting to be vigilant and to contact the authorities if they see anything suspicious.

The Wyndham Hotel Group released a statement Thursday afternoon:

"We are shocked and saddened by this incident, and our thoughts are with the victim and his family during this devastating time. The safety and security of our associates and guests is our top priority, and please know that we are cooperating with the authorities on their investigation. Given that this is an active investigation, we’re unable to provide any details or comment further, and ask that you direct all questions to the local authorities."

Photos: Crime scene of deadly armed robbery at Wyndham Orlando Resort

Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs said in a statement:

"On behalf of the entire Orange County community, I would like to extend my heartfelt condolences to the loved ones of Osman Darcan. I have the utmost confidence in the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and their ability to bring whoever is responsible for this heinous act to justice. I join in urging anyone with information to please come forward and contact the Orange County Sheriff’s Office or Crimeline at 407-423-TIPS (8477)."

.@OrangeCoSheriff: Husband and wife were on honeymoon when he was killed in overnight I-Drive attack. #WFTV pic.twitter.com/GzcjgE9CET

— Field Sutton (@FSuttonWFTV) September 8, 2016

The Orange County Sheriff's Office is encouraging visitors in the area of Thursday's shooting to be vigilant and to contact the authorities if they see anything suspicious.

Bogazici University Rector Prof. Dr. Gulay Barbarosoğlu released a statement Friday:

"My heart is heavy this morning as our campus family mourns the sudden and tragic death of Associate Professor Osman Darcan, faculty member at our School of Applied Disciplines’ Department of Management Information Systems. Prof. Darcan’s life was cut short in Orlando, Florida through an act of unspeakable cruelty, a disregard for human life that has added feelings of anger and helplessness to my overwhelming sense of loss and sorrow. His contributions to academia, to his field, to his students and to Boğaziçi University were innumerable and invaluable, and the high regard in which he was held was laudable. The fact that Professor Darcan’s death occurred at a time when he was at the prime of his life both professionally and personally just makes his passing all the more heartbreaking.

I know that the thoughts and prayers of the entire Boğaziçi community are with Professor Darcan’s family and with the students, faculty and staff of the School of Applied Disciplines.

All life is precious, and I am appalled by the horrific attack to which Professor Darcan was subjected. I strongly condemn all such mindless acts of violence, no matter against whom or where they take place."

The Wyndham Hotel Group released a statement Thursday afternoon:

Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs said in a statement:

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