ORLANDO, FL- Florida law enforcement officials are on the hunt for a suspect believed to have fatally shot a man and wounded a woman during a birthday celebration at a rented Airbnb property. The victims were part of a family from Orlando who had rented a house in Davenport to celebrate a one-year-old’s birthday, according to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
The incident unfolded around 12:30 a.m. on Sunday when a 27-year-old man delivered two plates of food to a car parked on the street. As he was returning to the house, a barrage of bullets was fired from the vehicle, hitting the man who then fell to the ground, as per the sheriff’s account.
Despite being shot, the man managed to get up and run towards the house. However, before fleeing the scene, the suspect’s vehicle reversed, and an individual emerged from the car to fire additional rounds at the man.
In the wake of the initial gunfire, a 26-year-old woman rushed towards the house’s entrance, only to be shot through the door, with the bullet striking her thigh. She managed to open the door and pull the previously shot man into the house. The man was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries, while the woman is expected to make a recovery.
Sheriff Judd expressed confusion over the motive behind the shooting, questioning whether the suspects had a problem with the food or if it was a ploy to lure the man outside. The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and the motive behind the shooting remains unclear.
The suspect’s vehicle was last seen heading in the direction of Orlando, but investigators have yet to identify the suspects. Sheriff Judd emphasized that this was not a typical house party shooting, noting that there had been a conversation between the victim and the suspects before the shooting.