Two shot, one dead in Floral City; two men arrested
Floral City, Florida - By 5:00 pm on December 29, two Floral City men were arrested on charges relating to a shooting that injured one man and killed another man in Floral City on Monday night, December 27, shortly before 9:30 pm, when the CCSO Communications Center received a call with information that a shooting that had just occurred off S. Great Oaks Dr.
Within minutes, deputies arrived on the scene and located the first victim, a 27-year-old white male with multiple gunshot wounds who told deputies that he'd been shot and gave a description of the vehicle the suspects had possibly used to flee the area. While rendering aid to the victim, deputies saw a vehicle that matched the description given by the victim, about 50 yards away; after ensuring the victim's safety, deputies approached the vehicle and discovered a second victim, a 21 year-old white male who had also been shot multiple times. Even with life-saving efforts on scene, his injuries were not survivable, and he succumbed to his injuries.
Major Crimes Detective Dan Slingerland responded to the scene and began an investigation into the shootings and identified two suspects: Jevaris Nathan Dortch and David Julian Murrell, both age 20 and from Floral City. Based upon the investigation, Detective Slingerland believes robbery was the motive behind the shooting.
Arrest warrants were obtained for Dortch and Murrell, and they were taken into custody by 5:00 pm the following day (December 28). Both men are being held without bond at the Citrus County Detention Facility in Lecanto, FL.
Jevaris Dortch was charged with premeditated murder, attempted premeditated murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and shooting or throwing a deadly missile into a dwelling or conveyance.
David Murrell was charged with premeditated murder, attempted premeditated murder, and shooting or throwing a deadly missile into a dwelling or conveyance.
"Cases like these are devastating for our community," said Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast. "Although, the first victim in this case was lucky to survive, another was murdered during this failed robbery. Thanks to the diligent work of Detective Slingerland, our community now has some answers, and our victims will have justice. Consequently, these two young defendants will spend the rest of their lives in prison because of their poor decisions."
The CCSO's investigation into this shooting is continuing. Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact the CCSO's Major Crimes Unit by phone at (352) 249-2790 or report information anonymously to Citrus County Crime Stoppers toll-free phone at 1-888-ANY-TIPS.