Man arrested after woman found shot to death in Econo Lodge room

Sheriff's Office: Victim, suspect were known to each other

ORLANDO, Fla. – A man has been arrested after a woman was found fatally shot at an Econo Lodge, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies went to the Econo Lodge in the 3800 block of McCoy Road after 8:30 p.m. Friday regarding a man-down call.

Deputies told News 6 that several guests heard gunshots before they got to the scene.

Deputies said the first calls to 911 stated the victim had fallen and struck her head, but subsequent calls stated that she had been shot.

The victim was unresponsive when found in one of the rooms at the Econo Lodge and had suffered a gunshot wound, deputies said.

The victim, identified by the Sheriff's Office as Jessica Burnette, 26, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities said a suspect was found by deputies at a bus stop at Semoran Boulevard and Hoffner Avenue, less than three miles away from the Econo Lodge. Homicide detectives responded to the scene, where the suspect, identified by the Sheriff's Office as Eric Rossman, 26, was found.

After an interview, deputies said Rossman was taken into custody and charged with second-degree murder. He's currently being held at the Orange County Jail without bond.

Burnette and Rossman were known to each other, according to the Sheriff's Office.

News 6 spoke to Burnette's mother over the phone. She said she had no idea who Rossman is and has many questions about what happened, including why her daughter was with him and what led up to the tragedy.

News 6 has learned the victim was a mother.

Stay with News 6 and ClickOrlando.com for updates on this story.


About the Authors:

Ezzy Castro is a multimedia journalist on News 6's morning team who has a passion for telling the stories of the people in the Central Florida community. Ezzy worked at WFOR CBS4 in South Florida and KBMT in Beaumont, Texas, where she covered Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Being from Miami, Ezzy loves Cuban coffee and croquetas!

Troy Blevins is a Digital Content Editor who has been with Graham Media Group since 2012.

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