Orange County Sheriff's Office deputies swarmed the Hidden Creek Villas apartment complex in Orlando's Oak Ridge area Wednesday night after reports of gunfire, discovering multiple shell casings, at least two apparent bullet holes in one building, and evidence markers near personal belongings and blood stains. Deputies responded to the complex off S. Texas Avenue, a few blocks south of Americana Boulevard, shortly before 8 p.m., and crime scene tape blocked off part of the property as a law enforcement helicopter circled overhead.
According to FOX 35 Orlando, fire rescue crews and an ambulance were also at the scene earlier in the evening, and deputies were stationed at intersections surrounding the area as investigators worked the scene. As of the station's report, authorities had not released details about possible victims or suspects, had not said whether anyone was injured, and had not identified anyone involved in the incident.
Deputies also had not said whether they were searching for a suspect, and the investigation remains active, per the same account. Authorities are expected to provide additional information as the probe continues.
A Complex With a Documented History of Gun Violence
Wednesday's incident adds to a string of shootings tied to the same address. In May 2023, a man in his 20s was shot and killed at Hidden Creek Villas around 8 a.m., according to FOX 35 Orlando. That fatal shooting came just months after a 3-year-old girl was shot while sitting in her car seat during a drive-by shooting after her mother pulled into a parking space at the complex on Rivertree Circle, as reported by WFTV.
The complex's history of gunfire stretches back further still. In November 2017, a 26-year-old dirt bike rider was shot at near Rivertree Circle inside the complex before a security guard detained the 23-year-old shooter until deputies arrived, according to ClickOrlando. And in December 2011, Orlando police discovered the body of 19-year-old Loughery Dorceus inside a vehicle parked at the complex off Texas Avenue during a multi-scene homicide investigation, per WDBO.
Broader Violence Along the South Texas Avenue Corridor
The complex sits within a stretch of Oak Ridge that has seen other serious violence in recent years. Earlier this month, a federal appeals court upheld a 20-year prison sentence for a gunman involved in a fatal November 2022 shootout that started at the Oak Ridge Shopping Plaza along South Texas Avenue, Hoodline previously reported. In March, Orange County homicide detectives arrested a 17-year-old for first-degree murder after surveillance footage showed him intentionally striking a peer with a vehicle in the surrounding Oak Ridge neighborhood.
Florida law lays out steep penalties for gunfire aimed at occupied buildings. Under Florida Statute § 790.19, wantonly or maliciously shooting into or at any public or private building, whether occupied or unoccupied, is a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Separately, under Florida Statute § 790.15, discharging a firearm in a public place or over residential property is a first-degree misdemeanor, while firing a gun from a vehicle within 1,000 feet of another person is a second-degree felony.
Anyone with information about Wednesday night's shooting can submit anonymous tips through the Central Florida Crimeline program, which offers cash rewards of up to $5,000 for tips leading to arrests in violent firearm cases investigated by the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Investigators have not said whether any tips have come in so far, and the scope of the investigation remains unclear as deputies continue examining the scene.
