An Orange County Sheriff's Deputy has fatally shot a young man believed to be approximately 19 years old after authorities say he presented a gun at a 7-Eleven near Orlando on Friday. Sheriff John Mina detailed that the incident occurred shortly before noon and involved deputies from the gang unit, who had been surveilling a house linked to multiple suspects of various alleged crimes. According to ClickOrlando, the officers saw the man leave the residence with a Glock equipped with an extended magazine and followed him to the convenience store at West Oak Ridge Road and Kingsgate Drive.
"Once inside the 7-Eleven, our deputies attempted to make contact with the man. He turned away, then turned back toward the deputy, appeared to reach for a handgun. He was told to stop multiple times. That's when our deputy shot the man," Mina said, as reported by ClickOrlando. Mina also noted that there was a struggle for the gun after the initial shot was fired and that the man was shot again. Despite efforts to save the man's life, he died at the scene.
No deputies were injured during the altercation. Sheriff Mina highlighted the focus on combating violent crimes, particularly those related to gang activity. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is set to take over the investigation, as detailed by WFTV.
Further details about the deceased man or the nature of his alleged criminal activities have not been officially released. Body-worn camera footage of the incident exists and will be part of the investigation conducted by authorities. Information regarding the shooting and the preceding events is to be turned over to the State Attorney's Office, after which an internal review within the sheriff's office will follow. An individual accompanied the man to the 7-Eleven, but the sheriff noted that they had not appeared to commit any crimes at the time. The full investigation findings will eventually be publicly disclosed after completion of the official processes.
