Gunfire outside the Jade Fox Lounge in Lakeland early Sunday left a 38-year-old man dead as the nightclub was closing, according to police. Officers arrived in the parking lot just after 2 a.m. and found Deandre Montgomery Sr., who was taken to Lakeland Regional Health and later pronounced dead by medical staff. Detectives say the shooting does not appear to be random and that Montgomery and the shooter knew each other.
According to Tampa Free Press, Lakeland Police Department detectives are working to piece together witness accounts and physical evidence from the scene after the gunfire erupted just after 2 a.m. Sunday. The department has not released a suspect description or possible motive, and the investigation remains active. The outlet also reports that Montgomery was pronounced dead at Lakeland Regional Health.
Venue’s past violence raises fresh questions
A City of Lakeland news release recalls a July 29, 2023, parking-lot shooting at the same address that left one man dead and another critically injured, with local coverage at the time describing arrests and a lengthy investigation. Reporting from FOX 13 Tampa Bay detailed how off-duty officer assignments and crowd control at Highlands Plaza events came under scrutiny after that earlier incident. For nearby residents and regulars, Sunday’s killing has revived concerns about late-night security in the plaza’s parking lot.
Police ask for witness help
Investigators are asking anyone who saw the confrontation or who has surveillance or cellphone video from the area to contact Detective Cory Lawson at 863-834-8975 or [email protected]. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Heartland Crime Stoppers. Police say the case is still active and that no suspect description has been released, according to Tampa Free Press.
