A conversation between three men in the front yard of a home on South Forest Street quickly spiraled out of control on Saturday after the homeowner used an AR-15 style rifle to repeatedly shoot one of the other men at close range.
A conversation turned deadly Saturday evening after Alex Antunez used an AR-15 style rifle to shoot a man in his front yard.
According to Plant City Police Department, Antunez, 26, was standing outside of his home near the 100 block of S. Forest St. having a conversation with two other men. Suddenly Antunez walked away and went back inside his home, leaving the other two men outside drinking beer. PCPD said a short time later he emerged from his home carrying a black AR-15 style rifle in his hands. He pointed the rifle at one of the men at close range and shot him multiple times.
Then he turned the gun toward the other man, but according to PCPD no shots were fired at this person. Instead Antunez fired the rife elsewhere and some of the rounds entered and damaged an occupied home on the 1300 block of E. Church St. The homeowner reported the damage to the police.
The man who was not shot left the area on foot and later told police he was “afraid of being shot by Antunez,” according to the report by PCPD. Antunez left the scene in a red Chevrolet Cruz that belonged to his wife.
The report was shared with local law enforcement agencies and Florida Highway Patrol found Antunez in Polk County.
Warrants for Antunez were obtained by the Plant City Police Department that charged him with Murder in the Second Degree, Aggravated Assault With a Deadly Weapon, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Felon in Possession of Ammunition and Shooting at, within or into a Building.
Antunez is currently at the Polk County jail and is awaiting extradition to Hillsborough County. Police have not yet confirmed the identity of the victim and next of kin notification for the victim’s family is pending.
