A 68-year-old Englewood homeowner is being held without bond after deputies say he shot and killed a friend during an argument in his garage Sunday night, then gave investigators an account that did not line up with the evidence at the scene. Frank John Voight now faces a charge of second-degree murder in the shooting, which unfolded at a home on El Campo Avenue.
According to the Tampa Free Press, Charlotte County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a 911 call reporting shots fired just before 9:30 p.m. at the residence on El Campo Avenue. A separate account from gulfcoastnewsnow.com puts deputies' arrival at the home at 9:28 p.m., after reports of shots fired. When they got there, deputies found Voight standing near an unresponsive man lying on the garage floor with an apparent gunshot wound to the chest.
Deputies Secure Scene as Paramedics Rush In
Deputies moved quickly to secure the property and confirm no one else was inside the home, per the Tampa Free Press. They administered first aid to the victim until paramedics arrived, and Englewood Fire Department and Charlotte County Fire & EMS crews then took over life-saving measures. Despite those efforts, the victim was pronounced dead at the scene; gulfcoastnewsnow.com reports he was declared dead at 10:03 p.m.
During a safety sweep of the garage, investigators with the sheriff's Major Case Unit discovered a handgun lying on a table, the Tampa Free Press reports. The victim's identity has not been made public, and the station notes the case remains active as detectives continue piecing together what happened in the moments before the shooting.
Competing Account Didn't Match the Evidence
A relative told deputies that Voight had called her sounding distraught and admitted he had shot the victim, according to gulfcoastnewsnow.com. Voight himself told deputies he fired a single shot after the victim approached him, and he described the shooting as self-defense, the outlet reports.
But detectives said that explanation didn't hold up. As reported by mysuncoast.com, his account of the shooting did not match evidence gathered during the investigation. Voight was brought to the District 1 office for an interview before detectives determined his explanation contradicted the physical evidence, and he was ultimately arrested on a charge of second-degree murder, not premeditated, mysuncoast.com reports.
Sheriff Calls Loss 'Painful' for Victim's Family
Voight is now being held at the Charlotte County Jail without bond, according to mysuncoast.com's reporting. Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell said he felt for the victim's family and friends, noting that the loss causes lasting pain, and he urged people to resolve their issues peacefully, warning that this kind of violence carries consequences that don't go away.
Under Florida law, second-degree murder is classified as a first-degree felony punishable by a term of years not exceeding life imprisonment or as otherwise provided by law, according to Florida Senate statutes. The investigation remains active, and no further details about the victim or the circumstances of the argument that preceded the shooting have been released.
