VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A man is dead after a shooting Saturday night near Orange City, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said.
Officers went to a residence in the 400 block of Charles Avenue, just west of Orange City. The Sheriff’s Office said it received a call about the shooting at 8:16 p.m.
Officers found James Lorefice, 28, dead inside and Fredrick Griswold, 56, bleeding from a head laceration. Deputies said Griswold was the shooter and the victim was his nephew.
When deputies arrived Griswold told them, "I'm the uncle. I'm the one that shot him," according to the report.
Deputies said the two men were drinking and got into an argument that turned physical. The Sheriff's Office said Griswold then got a handgun and shot his nephew inside the house.
Detectives interviewed witnesses to determine what may have sparked the argument and how Griswold suffered the head wound. Witnesses told detectives that Lorefice tried to punch Griswold before slamming his body into a cabinet and a coffee table, deputies said. Witnesses said Griswold went to his bedroom while others tried to calm the situation, but he came back with a handgun, the Sheriff's Office said.
Volusia County deputies said Griswold claimed that Lorefice had a knife and that it was self-defense, but deputies said "the fight was over when he pulled out a gun," and therefore was not actively defending himself when he shot the victim.
People who live in the area were shocked to hear what happened. One couple told News 6 that Griswold is a good neighbor.
"He's always helpful, he's always neighborly," Griswold's neighbor said. "We chat, we talk...seems to be a very nice couple."