OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — An Osceola County man never showed up during his morning routine of walking his wife home from her work, the man’s mother-in-law said, setting off the alarm that something had gone wrong.
Lisa Nutt said the journey should have only taken a few minutes, which involved the man crossing Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway to meet his wife around 5 a.m., where the two would cross again.
Instead, Nutt said the man was shot in the parking lot of their Extended Stay hotel by a man who had argued with the family the day before.
“When my husband was walking the dog through the building, my dog went over to try to say hi, he’s very friendly,” Nutt explained. “My husband said to him, ‘Don’t worry, he won’t hurt you.’ And as the guy walked into the building, he turned around and said, ‘I’ll shoot that effing dog.’”
Osceola County deputies confirmed one man was taken to Celebration hospital in critical condition. As of Tuesday morning, they said they were interviewing their suspect to confirm details about the shooting. They did not respond to follow-up messages later in the day.
Deputies could be seen circling a restaurant next door to the hotel in hopes of finding a camera that caught the shooting. The restaurant’s manager said none of the cameras were pointed in the correct direction.
Others at the hotel either said they didn’t see the shooting or declined to answer questions.
Nutt said the family hadn’t seen the man before the dog argument and believed he only recently moved into the hotel.
“I think I’m numb right now,” she said as her voice shook, adding that she had six grandchildren at home. “I’m trying to hold it together for my daughter, because she’s not okay right now.”
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