A woman has lost her life following a heated exchange and subsequent gunfire between two men in Mulberry, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd reported. The unfortunate incident, which involved individuals linked to the methamphetamine trade and gang activity, had Mary Dino, 28, as an unintended casualty.
Early reports from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office indicate that Joshua Clark, 35, and Jose Coronado, 34, both of whom are identified as meth dealers and gang members, clashed early Thursday morning with Dino present in Coronado's vehicle; tensions quickly escalated and tragically led to the shooting of Dino, according to WFLA.
As per Sheriff Judd, the conflict saw Coronado retrieving a firearm from his vehicle though Clark usually to be armed, his gun accidentally discharged and struck Dino in the chest; it was amidst a move to de-escalate the situation by walking back to his vehicle that Clark became the target of Coronado's ire and subsequent gunfire, Judd said in a briefing covered by ABC Action News.
In the chaos that ensued after the accidental shooting, Coronado shot at Clark accusing him of the reason he shot Dino, and both men exchanged gunshots before fleeing, according to Judd; the Sheriff described the situation as one evolving from an argument to a gunfight, "Chop" Clark remains at large while "Tweety" Coronado was captured after a vehicular pursuit which ended with police intervention along U.S. 17 north of Fort Meade, as reported by FOX 13 News.
Clark is still wanted by authorities, while Coronado was detained after trying to evade capture; he is also alleged to have a standing warrant for failure to appear in a meth trafficking case in Hillsborough County, "part of what he called a 'cranker colony,'" Judd told FOX 13 News. After leaving the scene of the shooting, Coronado had relocated Dino to Ryals Road, placing her on the tailgate of a truck and pleading with bystanders to seek medical help for her as he fled due to his warrant, a statement by Judd concluded.
