SARASOTA, Fla. — One person was injured during a shooting at a Sarasota apartment complex, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies responded to an apartment at Anson on Palmer Ranch located at 6251 Sawyer Loop Road in Sarasota around 9:34 a.m. Monday.
A later investigation revealed that a man, Alan Otis Smith, 75, shot his girlfriend. She fled the apartment after being shot, prompting the neighbors to call 911.
The victim was found and taken to the Sarasota Memorial Hospital immediately. Deputies then evacuated the surrounding apartments, believing Smith was still inside with a gun.
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s SWAT Team and Hostage Negotiation Team spent several hours trying to contact Smith, but all attempts were unsuccessful.
The SWAT team forced their way into the apartment and found Smith had passed from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The Medical Examiner's Office, however, is in the process of determining his official cause of death.
Smith's family has been notified. The victim's identity has not been revealed due to Marsy's Law. She is still alive and continuing treatment at the hospital.
Deputies stated that there was no previous history of the Sheriff's Office responding to this location.
