VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — A Volusia County resident could face some serious criminal charges from the alleged shooting death of a black bear.
The bear was shot in the Riverbend Acres Community in Ormond Beach.
Residents said they were upset the shooting happened in their community.
They said the bears are rarely a nuisance and there’s no justification for shooting one.
Anthony Williams said he loves the wildlife in his community and was close by when the adolescent bear was shot.
“I heard a gunshot and then later on I heard three more and it was like, right up the street from my house,” said Williams.
The next day, wildlife officers came to investigate.
They tracked down the dead bear and took it away as evidence.
Since then, investigators have been tight-lipped about who shot the bear and why.
“They’ve been out here for a long time, so it’s kind of sad to hear, you know, one of the bears (is) gone,” Williams said.
Bruce Pyle with the homeowners association said there have been no major incidents with the bears.
“There’s 54 homes in the community and it’s upsetting to a lot of people,” Pyle said.
According to Florida Fish and Wildlife, it is illegal to kill black bears.
As officers investigate, many hope that lesson is learned across central Florida.
“I’d like to see some justice out of this. I mean, because this (bear) shouldn’t have been shot. He wasn’t doing anything. They’ve been here for a long time,” Williams said.
FWC officials said they have at least one suspect and that person will likely face several charges.
WFTV
