ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A late-night shooting at the Lakeside Villas Apartments left one man injured and residents shaken early Wednesday morning. Deputies responded to the scene around 11:35 p.m. after reports of gunfire in the parking lot of the apartment complex located in the 7800 block of Shoals Drive.
When deputies arrived, they found shell casings scattered across the ground and a vehicle that had flipped onto its side after crashing into a retaining wall. The victim, a man in his 30s, was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office remains on scene, investigating what led to the violence. While no suspects or motives have been released, residents say the chaos began with the sound of gunshots—and quickly escalated.
One concerned resident, who asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons, described hearing car alarms going off around 3 a.m., waking her from sleep.
“When you hear that there’s gunshots fired, bro, absolutely terrifying,” she said.
She believes the incident may be connected to recent issues with car break-ins in the area.
“We do have issues with car hopping in here. So I don’t know if maybe someone got, like, caught breaking into someone’s car and something happened.”
The shooting has raised concerns about safety in the community, especially for families with children. The apartment complex features a basketball court where kids often play as late as 10 p.m.—just hours before the shooting occurred.
“There’s usually kids playing out in this basketball court right behind here till at least 10 p.m., so like for that… it’s kind of scary,” the resident added.
Deputies continue to process evidence and interview witnesses. For now, residents are left wondering how such an incident could happen in their once-quiet neighborhood.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
If you have any information about this case, you’re urged to contact the Orange County Sheriff’s Office or Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS.
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