WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — Winter Haven Police are investigating a Fourth of July shooting that killed one person and injured two others.
Frances Campbell lives across the street from the vacant lot on the 200 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in northeast Winter Haven.
“They be shooting over there just about every time they have a holiday,” said Campbell.
Campbell said large crowds of people gather there on holidays and in recent years these gatherings have become violent.
“The year before last, a bullet went through my front window and went through my wall, luckily I wasn’t in the front room,” Campbell said.
Monday was no different. Investigators said about 200 people were at a July 4th block party when just before midnight, shots rang out at the same time fireworks did.
“I heard so many bombs go off and the fireworks and this and that. I didn’t realize there was some bullet shots going on too. I just thought it was the fireworks,” Campbell said.
When officers arrived, they found one man shot. He was taken to the hospital where he died from his injuries. Two other men were shot and are expected to be okay. Right now, investigators have reason to believe the men were targeted and they need the public’s help.
“If somebody can say who they saw with a gun, not necessarily pull the trigger but they saw them with a gun, that gives us somewhere to start with, before we have to sift through all these other things,” said Winter Haven Public Safety Director Charlie Bird. “It helps us potentially get someone off the street quicker.”
Anyone with any information regarding this case is asked to call Heartland Crime Stoppers.
Options to report information:
- Call 1-800-226 TIPS (8477)
- From your cell phone, dial **TIPS
- Visit the website www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com and click on "Submit A Tip"
- Download the free "P3tips" app on your smartphone or tablet.
You will always remain anonymous when you send a tip through Crime Stoppers and you are eligible for a $5,000 reward if your information leads to an arrest.
