Shooting Archives - Inside Lake

Mount Dora man sentenced to three decades in prison for attempted murder

Inside Scoop, Mount Dora, Tavares / By Marilyn M. Aciego

TAVARES, Fla.—A man convicted of shooting a woman twice in Mount Dora last year has been sentenced to 30 years in prison, according to the Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office.

In March 2023, Mount Dora Police Department responded to the 1500 block of Pine Avenue on a report of a shooting and when they arrived, they found a woman in a 2010 Nissan passenger vehicle suffering from two gunshot wounds. The victim told police “Jason,” later identified as Jason Jameel Ganga, shot her while she was attempting to leave. There were two bullet holes through her driver’s side window, an affidavit in the case states.

Police found Ganga underneath a bed, grabbed his legs and pulled him out. As they pulled him out, they saw he was holding a .40 caliber semi-automatic Smith & Wesson handgun to his temple and actively pulling the trigger but the gun did not have a magazine. The gun was secured, and Ganga, who showed signs of alcohol intoxication, was taken into custody. He refused to cooperate during questioning and a search of the home revealed multiple firearms, including handguns and rifles, with ammunition scattered throughout.

In June, Ganga, 38, was found guilty of attempted second-degree murder, shooting into an occupied vehicle, and aggravated battery. He was represented by Spencer Rhodes of Orlando and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Gabriel Lozano and Eddie Moffitt.

“The defendant’s crime was a brutal attempt on an innocent woman’s life, a clear disregard for the sanctity of human life, and today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of that crime,” Bill Gladson, Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney said in a press release Tuesday.

Ganga must serve at least 25 years of his 30-year sentence.

Previous stories: Lake County jury convicts man of shooting woman in Mount Dora last year – Inside Lake

Mount Dora Police Arrest Armed Man Accused of Shooting Woman Twice Sunday Night – Inside Lake

Mount Dora man sentenced to three decades in prison for attempted murder Read More »

Mom and sister of accused Leesburg murderer arrested, girlfriend wanted by police

Inside Scoop, Lady Lake, Leesburg / By Marilyn M. Aciego

LEESBURG, Fla.—The mother and sister of accused murderer Alex Lopez were arrested Thursday for their role in helping Lopez elude capture, and Lopez’ girlfriend is on the run.

Patricia Kinchens, 42, and Breanna Lopez, 27, were taken into custody by Leesburg Police Department, with assistance from Lady Lake Police Department and Wildwood Police Department, LPD Sgt. Shannon Walsh said. Lopez’ girlfriend Kaili E. Dupuis, 25, remains wanted.

*Patricia Kinchens, is seen here in a 2023 mugshot when she was sentenced for an unrelated probation violation. Breanna Lopez is seen here in her current mugshot,*

Alex Lopez, 25, is facing charges of premeditated murder, armed robbery and two other weapons offenses; he is accused of gunning down father of five, Raied “Ray” Shihadeh, 51, at Fast Stop Superette, 3702 Picciola Road, on May 30 during an armed robbery of the store. It was Shihadeh’s daughter’s 16^th birthday. Lopez was on the run for nearly a month until he was arrested at a Kissimmee motel June 26. He is being held in the Lake County Jail on no bond.

*Raied “Ray” Shihadeh was murdered May 30, 2024. Photo courtesy of Monique Shihadeh*

Kinchens’ booking information and current mugshot were not available at press time; Breanna Lopez is being held on no bond.

Previous story: Accused murderer back in Lake County – Inside Lake

Mom and sister of accused Leesburg murderer arrested, girlfriend wanted by police Read More »

Still photo taken from surveillance video at Cauley Lott Memorial Park following a shooting on Aug. 2, 2024. PHOTO: City of Mount Dora

Mount Dora police release surveillance video in an effort to identify suspects in park shooting

Inside Scoop, Mount Dora / By Marilyn M. Aciego

MOUNT DORA, Fla.—Mount Dora Police Department is seeking the public’s help in identifying three people who fired shots at a popular park early this month.

MDPD released a surveillance video Monday that captured the early evening shooting Aug. 2 at Cauley Lott Memorial Park, 1717 North Highland St., Mount Dora.

According to police, several people were at the park, along with vehicles parked along Pine Street, when a dark-colored, late model sedan backed out of a parking space. Two people walking down the sidewalk began firing at the sedan and a third shooter returned fire, Spokesperson Misty Sommer said.

A bystander was shot in the leg and was transported to AdventHealth Waterman in Tavares by a family member for treatment. An unoccupied SUV was also struck with multiple bullets, Sommer said. It is unknown if anyone in the sedan was injured, she said, because no one has contacted MDPD.

“This incident could have been a real tragedy, as there were bystanders of all ages in the area at the time,” Sommer said in a press release. “This type of violence in a city park built for the enjoyment of our residents and visitors should not be tolerated.”

If you have information on the shooting, call MDPD’s Criminal Investigations Unit at 352-735-7130.

Previous story: Mount Dora police investigating after multiple shots fired into occupied vehicle Friday night – Inside Lake

Mount Dora police release surveillance video in an effort to identify suspects in park shooting Read More »

LCSO releases names of deputies who survived ambush Friday night

Inside Scoop, Tavares, Umatilla, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

TAVARES, Fla.—The two Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies who survived after being shot in the line of duty Friday have now been identified.

Master Deputy Bradley Link and Master Deputy Harold Howell were shot Friday night while conducting a well-being check at a home on Brookside Drive in unincorporated Eustis. Link was trapped in the home and Deputy Stefano Gargano was part of a rescue team put in place to extract Link from the home.

Howell, 41, was shot in the arm and is currently awaiting surgery; he is listed in stable condition. He began working for LCSO in 2005 and has been a K9 handler since 2011.

Gargano, 28, was shot numerous times while attempting to rescue Link. “He underwent surgery overnight and was scheduled for a second surgery this afternoon. His condition was last listed as critical,” LCSO Lt. John Herrell said late Saturday afternoon.

Link succumbed to his injuries early Saturday morning after being rescued from the home by LCSO’s SWAT team.

Previous stories: Deputy killed in the line of duty identified – Inside Lake

Lake County Sheriff: 3 deputies shot, 1 killed Friday night outside Eustis in a “hail of gunfire” – Inside Lake

LCSO releases names of deputies who survived ambush Friday night Read More »

Deputy killed in the line of duty identified

Inside Scoop, Tavares, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

TAVARES, Fla.—The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has identified the deputy killed in the line of duty Friday night.

Master Deputy Bradley Michael Link, 28, joined LCSO as an Explorer and after graduating from Lake Minneola High School in 2015, he served in the Army Reserves before becoming a deputy sheriff for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. He joined LCSO in 2019, “where he quickly became part of our family and faithfully served our citizens with courage and zeal,” LCSO said in a Facebook post.

“Brad, as our Sheriff’s Office family knew him, touched the lives of all who were blessed enough to work with him; his contributions and the impact of this loss will not soon be forgotten.”

*Master Deputy Bradley Link and Lake County Sheriff Peyton Grinnell in October 2019.*

Link succumbed to injuries he suffered while attempting to conduct a well-being check at a home on Brookside Drive in unincorporated Eustis Friday night. He and another deputy were met with a volley of gunfire and Link became trapped in the home, LCSO Sheriff Peyton Grinnell said early Saturday morning.

Deputies formed a rescue team, and the team came under a hail of gunfire in which two more deputies were shot. Their names still have not been publicly released and early Saturday morning, one was in stable condition and the second deputy was in serious critical condition, Grinnell said.

Link is survived by his wife Brittany, and his parents, Christi and Daniel, according to LCSO. A fundraiser has been set up to benefit Link’s wife, to donate, visit In Memory of Bradley Link: Support His Loved Ones.

Previous story: Lake County Sheriff: 3 deputies shot, 1 killed Friday night outside Eustis in a “hail of gunfire” – Inside Lake

Deputy killed in the line of duty identified Read More »

Lake County Sheriff Peyton Grinnell speaks with the media early Saturday morning following the ambush shooting of three of his deputies. One deputy was killed. PHOTO: Marilyn M. Aciego/Inside Lake

Lake County Sheriff: 3 deputies shot, 1 killed Friday night outside Eustis in a “hail of gunfire”

Eustis, Inside Scoop, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

EUSTIS, Fla.—The collective heart of the community is heavy today after three Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies were shot Friday night, one of them tragically killed.

LCSO Sheriff Peyton Grinnell spoke to reporters early Saturday morning, his sorrow apparent, and explained what happened around 8 p.m. Friday, while Major Glenn Hall, Major Todd English, Lt. John Herrell, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods and 5^th Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bill Gladson stood close by.

Deputies first responded to a disturbance at a home on Brookside Drive in unincorporated Eustis.

“While they were conducting their investigation, they were alerted to a home, we believe, a couple houses down, that there was a problem there and the deputies went to that home and saw what appeared to be the back door kicked in,” Grinnell said. “They could hear a disturbance inside of that home.”

When the deputies entered the home there was “a lot of gunfire,” and one deputy was struck, Grinnell said, and a backup deputy was able to retreat outside. The first deputy was trapped inside the home and multiple deputies responded.

“They immediately formed a rescue team to go back in, to attempt to get the deputy sheriff that was still inside the home, and they were just met with a hail of gunfire,” Grinnell said.

During that gunfire, two more deputies were shot. One deputy was shot in the shoulder and is in stable condition; the second deputy was shot multiple times in the armpit, stomach area and groin. He underwent surgery and is in serious critical condition.

*Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies block County Road 439 Friday night following the ambush of three deputies. PHOTO: Marilyn M. Aciego/Inside Lake*

“It’s horrific when you have one of your own inside a home and you can’t get to him.”

Grinnell explained how the deputy was rescued from the home.

“We have equipment for that, that’s the reason we have this equipment, and we tore the home apart so we could get in there and get that deputy out of there, Grinnell said “It was a chaotic scene.”

When the SWAT team entered the home, they rescued the deputy and he was transported to AdventHealth Waterman, where he succumbed to his injuries.

They found three suspects; two were deceased and the third was transported to an area hospital for treatment. It is unknown if the suspects were killed by deputies or, if it was a murder-suicide, Grinnell said. Multiple firearms were found in the home, “everything from long guns to hand guns,” he said

Law enforcement officers from city departments all over Lake County responded to the scene, in addition to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI,) the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF,) and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE.) FDLE will conduct the investigation of the incident.

Lake County Sheriff: 3 deputies shot, 1 killed Friday night outside Eustis in a “hail of gunfire” Read More »

Mount Dora police investigating after multiple shots fired into occupied vehicle Friday night

Inside Scoop, Mount Dora / By Marilyn M. Aciego

7:30 p.m. update: Lockdown has been lifted.

7:15 p.m. update: MDPD confirmed one person was shot and went to AdventHealth Waterman for treatment. The hospital is currently on lockdown.

MOUNT DORA, Fla.—Mount Dora Police Department is investigating after numerous shots were fired at a park Friday night.

MDPD responded to Cauley Lott Memorial Park, 1717 North Highland Street, shortly after 6 p.m., “Numerous shots were fired into an occupied vehicle,” City of Mount Dora Spokesperson Misty Sommer told Inside Lake.

One person was shot, and officers are currently on scene interviewing witnesses; at press time it was unknown how many suspects may be involved, Sommer said.

If you have information, call MDPD at 352-735-7130.

Mount Dora police investigating after multiple shots fired into occupied vehicle Friday night Read More »

Shots fired in Tavares condo complex Wednesday, knocks power out to multiple residences

Inside Scoop, Tavares / By Marilyn M. Aciego

TAVARES, Fla.—Tavares Police Department is investigating after multiple shots were fired in a condominium complex late Wednesday night.

Shortly before 10 p.m., TPD received multiple 911 calls in reference to numerous shots being fired in the Rosewood Condominiums, located off Dead River Road, Det. Courtney Sullivan said.

No one was injured, according to Sullivan, and two vehicles fled the complex; one may have been a gray Chevrolet Impala or a Dodge Dart.

Police believe there were multiple people involved in the incident and at least two shooters, due to evidence found at the scene. An electrical box was shot, leaving approximately 90 residents without power for nearly eight hours, Sullivan said.

“Investigators are working diligently to determine those involved and are urging witnesses to come forward to assist with the investigation,” Sullivan said. If you have information, call TPD at 352-343-2101, option 4.

Rosewood has been the site of multiple shootings over the past several years, including a murder in 2018. No arrests have been made in that case. In November 2023, police investigated two separate shootings just four days apart.

Previous story: Tavares Police Investigating After Receiving Multiple Calls of Shots Fired at Rosewood Condos Friday Night – Inside Lake

Shots fired in Tavares condo complex Wednesday, knocks power out to multiple residences Read More »

Lake County jury convicts man of shooting woman in Mount Dora last year

Inside Scoop, Mount Dora, Tavares / By Marilyn M. Aciego

TAVARES, Fla.—A man accused of shooting a woman twice in Mount Dora last year was convicted by a Lake County jury Wednesday, according to the Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office.

In March 2023, Mount Dora Police Department responded to the 1500 block of Pine Avenue on a report of a shooting and when they arrived, they found a woman in a 2010 Nissan passenger vehicle suffering from two gunshot wounds. The victim told police “Jason,” later identified as Jason Jameel Ganga shot her while she was attempting to leave, and he was inside. There were two bullet holes through her driver’s side window, an affidavit in the case states.

MDPD found Ganga, who showed signs of alcohol intoxication, underneath a bed. Officers grabbed his legs and pulled him out, and as they pulled him out, they saw he was holding a .40 caliber semi-automatic Smith & Wesson handgun to his temple and actively pulling the trigger; the gun did not have a magazine. The gun was secured, and Ganga was taken into custody. He refused to cooperate with MDPD’s questioning and a search of the home revealed multiple firearms, including handguns and rifles, with ammunition scattered throughout the premises. He was arrested on multiple charges and has been held in the Lake County Jail since his arrest.

Ganga was found guilty of attempted second-degree murder, shooting into an occupied vehicle, and aggravated battery. He was represented by Spencer Rhodes of Orlando and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Gabriel Lozano and Eddie Moffitt. He will be sentenced at a later date.

Previous story: Mount Dora Police Arrest Armed Man Accused of Shooting Woman Twice Sunday Night – Inside Lake

Lake County jury convicts man of shooting woman in Mount Dora last year Read More »

Deputies investigating exchange of gunfire near Mount Dora Thursday

Inside Scoop, Mount Dora, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

MOUNT DORA, Fla.—The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an incident that involved the occupants of two vehicles apparently shooting at each other Thursday afternoon in unincorporated Mount Dora.

LCSO responded to Old Eustis Road around 5 pm. Thursday after someone reported shots were fired in the area, according to a report. A witness told a deputy he was outside when he heard what he believed to be fireworks. He then saw a silver midsize sedan traveling eastbound and what appeared to be a longer style gun firing shots from behind the car at a “metallic deep blue” truck traveling westbound. He said he saw the truck pull over and a black male exited the truck and began shooting at the silver car.

A second witness told the deputy she was in her home when she heard repetitive gunfire and when she looked outside, she saw a “pearly blue” truck parked on the road and a “young black male” shooting eastbound but could not see what the male was shooting at, according to the report.

Five shell casings were found at the scene, including four 9mm casings and a single rifle casing, the report states, and a resident provided video footage of the exchange of gunfire to LCSO. A video was also provided to Inside Lake by a source who wished to remain anonymous, and asked us not to share, due to fear of retaliation. Numerous shots can be heard in the video provided to Inside Lake.

If you have information on Thursday’s incident, call LSCO at 352-343-2101.

Deputies investigating exchange of gunfire near Mount Dora Thursday Read More »