DELTONA, Fla. – The Volusia County Sheriff's Office has identified the shooter in Wednesday's fatal stray bullet shooting in Volusia County, but at this time the gunman's name is not being released.
Bruce Fleming, 69, died Christmas morning after being shot in the chest by a stray bullet while he was standing in his backyard, investigators said.
[AUDIO: 911 call released in Deltona stray bullet death]
Fleming was pronounced dead Wednesday shortly after being taken to a hospital.
The gunman told investigators he did not realize that someone had been struck.
Fleming's wife, son and grandson were at the Deltona home when the shooting happened.
Investigators said the bullet came from a neighbor's property and called Fleming's death a tragic accident.
Shooting guns on private property is legal, but Volusia County Sheriff's deputies were investigating to determine if proper safety measures were taken.
Fleming's family was in shock over the shooting.
"It's pretty clear that it was negligent for shooting, obviously, at the back yard. There's houses everywhere," said family friend Robert Reynolds.
Fleming, who owned a landscaping business, was described by loved ones as selfless, kind and a provider.
"He was like a father to us local boys," Reynolds said. "Any kind of problems we had, he would help us out."
Deputies initially said that the shot came from a nearby homemade gun range but later said the shot was likely fired from another property.
The Sheriff's Office said it is still investigating and said a decision on criminal charges will not be made until the investigation is complete.
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