A person arrived at AdventHealth Waterman in Tavares with a single gunshot wound to the head just before 1 a.m., prompting Eustis police officers to respond to the hospital around 12:50 a.m. and open an investigation into the shooting. The victim was listed in stable condition as of Wednesday, though police have released almost no other information about how the shooting happened or who was involved.
According to Inside Lake, the outlet received multiple calls from residents about police activity on Blackberry Court around the same time the victim showed up at the hospital. Eustis Police Chief Craig Capri initially declined to release information, citing the active investigation, and has not said whether the shooting is connected to whatever drew officers to that street. Blackberry Court has drawn police attention before — the same publication reported in October 2023 that officers arrested a suspect there in connection with a string of local burglaries, including one in which an intruder armed with a knife broke into a home to steal property.
Hospital Lockdown Followed Victim's Arrival
AdventHealth Waterman was placed on lockdown following the victim's arrival, as reported by callers, and the Tavares Police Department confirmed that lockdown to the outlet. The account did not assign investigative and hospital-security responsibilities in this case.
The account did not provide additional context about the lockdown. AdventHealth Waterman, a 300-bed acute care facility that recently expanded its emergency department and added a patient tower through a $74 million capital project, was placed on lockdown after the victim's arrival. It did not specify what prompted the safety measure or what threat it was meant to address.
What Eustis Police Still Haven't Said
Beyond the basic timeline, Eustis police have not released whether a suspect has been identified or taken into custody, what led to the shooting, or the victim's name. Chief Capri, whom the outlet identified as Eustis police chief, has said only that the shooting is considered an isolated incident that poses no danger to the public.
The Eustis Police Department, which fields 48 sworn officers among 63 total staff for a city of more than 25,000 residents, has asked anyone with information to contact investigators or Central Florida Crimeline, the anonymous tip line that offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information leading to a felony arrest, according to Crimeline. Tipsters can reach Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS.
Part of a Tense Summer for Gun Violence in Eustis
The overnight shooting adds to a run of gun-violence incidents that have kept Eustis police busy in recent months. In June, the department investigated a 90-minute drive-by spree across two residential neighborhoods that left officers recovering dozens of shell casings and led to multiple felony arrests. More recently, the article also referenced a Lake County Sheriff's drone without providing further details.
The available account does not explain any reporting requirement or penalty under Florida law, or whether such a requirement contributed to the inter-agency response.
