Sheriff’s Office investigation continuing
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Section (CIS) is investigating a shooting on th evening of Saturday, May 13 that left one person dead, the agency has reported.
The incident appears to have been related to road rage, based on information in a news release.
The shooting occurred near the intersection of Fruitville Road and Cattlemen Road, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
Just after 8:08 p.m., the release explained, patrol deputies responded to a report of a shooting in the area of the Fruitville Road/Cattlemen Road intersection. Upon arrival, the deputies found a deceased male in a pickup truck on Fruitville Road west of Interstate 75, the release added.
A female driver and male passenger were nearby in a sedan, the release said.
The male passenger told the deputies that, in the aftermath of a verbal altercation, the driver of the pickup pointed a gun at him and the female driver of the sedan, the release continued. The male passenger exited the vehicle and fired multiple rounds into the driver’s side of the pickup truck, striking the driver of the truck, the release said.
The male passenger has a valid permit to carry a concealed weapon, the release pointed out.
Sheriff’s Officer personnel released the passenger and driver of the sedan after talking with them, the release added.
The body of the deceased male was released to the District 12 Medical Examiner’s Office, the release noted, “and a next-of-kin notification was made.”
In its initial advisory about the incident, the Sheriff’s Office reported, “All persons involved are accounted for,” so law enforcement personnel did not believe members of the public were in any danger.
Eastbound Fruitville Road was closed from Paramount Drive to I-75 as the investigation was underway, the advisory added.
The investigation continued on Sunday morning, the news release said. Detectives were canvassing the area, the release noted.
Nextdoor app posts on May 14 that The Sarasota News Leader read responded to one person’s question about why Fruitville Road was closed eastbound, east of the Honore Avenue intersection, on the night of May 13. Several individuals replied that their understanding was that a road rage incident had occurred. One individual wrote that the shooting appeared to have taken place near the RaceTrac gas station located at 5600 Fruitville Road, which is just east of the Paramount Drive intersection.
In response to a News Leader inquiry on May 15, Dana Judge, media relations specialist with the Sheriff’s Office, wrote in an email that she was not certain when the agency would be able to release any further information.