VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Sheriff’s detectives are investigating a deadly shooting that happened late Tuesday near DeLand.
The Volusia Sheriff’s Office said the incident began shortly before 11 p.m. as a 911 call about an alleged trespassing incident along North Boulevard Court near Woodland Avenue.
That’s where deputies ended up finding a man dead a short time later.
The person who shot the other man told Channel 9’s Q McCray that he did it in self-defense.
When WFTV first arrived around 3 a.m. Wednesday, a body was visible on a front lawn.
The shooter, who spoke with McCray off-camera, remained near the crime scene Wednesday morning, waiting to return home.
Sheriff’s investigators said he lives in a camper at the back of his boss’ general contracting company along North Boulevard Court. He told us he shot a former worker who had been fired and explicitly told not to return to the property.
According to the shooter, he found the “trespasser” in the laundry room and told him to leave. When the unwanted visitor refused, the shooter said he dialed 911. While deputies were on the way, the shooter says the intruder became aggressive and lunged at him after several commands to leave. That’s when he opened fire.
Deputies say when they arrived, the shooter was standing in the front yard with his hands up.
Workers at a nearby restaurant also witnessed the aftermath. One employee told Channel 9 he heard five to six gunshots and recognized the victim as a regular when he later saw the body.
Volusia Sheriff’s Office has not yet said if the shooting will be ruled justified, and the identity of the deceased has not been released.
WFTV will share new information on air and online as it becomes available.
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