Man shot to death at troubled Ocala apartment complex

4 shot at same complex in January, police say

OCALA, Fla. – Police are investigating what led to a deadly shooting at the Parkside Gardens Apartments in Ocala late Tuesday night.

According to police, 54-year-old Cornelius Lewis was found with a gunshot wound and was rushed to the hospital, where he died shortly before 1 a.m.

"Right now, detectives are working on leads but we do not have any firm suspects at this time," Lt. Mike Sommer said.

Investigators spent hours at the scene overnight talking to witnesses. They are also looking through surveillance cameras from the complex. 

Authorities said Wednesday evening that John Munroe, 17, was arrested in connection with the crime. He claimed the shooting was in self-defense, but witness statements and video footage contradicted that claim, according to a news release.

He was charged with second-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a juvenile.

Police said Lewis lived a few blocks away from Parkside Gardens Apartments. 

They are now asking anyone who might have any information about the shooting to contact authorities.

"Any little bit of information might be the key that we need to close this case." Sommer said.

In January, four people were shot at the same complex and one victim was killed. 

Police said they have been taking measures to cut down crime in the area.


About the Author:

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!

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