Armed woman who was killed in Avalon Park deputy-involved shooting identified

Suspect accused of pointing gun at deputies

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A woman who was fatally shot by deputies in Avalon Park after she pointed a gun at them has been identified, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

Officials identified the suspect as 42-year-old Tracy Drowne while the deputies who fired their weapons were identified as Nathan Henley and Joseph O’Neil.

Both patrol deputies have been placed on paid administrative leave while the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigates, which is standard procedure.

The incident began around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Fountain Coin Loop in Avalon Park after a man reported that Drowne struck him as a result of an earlier fight involving his teenage daughter, according to Orange County Sheriff John Mina.

Madison Brannon, 15, told News 6 that Drowne was her neighbor and she had a strange encounter with her when she was out for her run not long before the shooting.

“She said, ‘I’ve been having these dreams, have you?’ And I was like, ‘No, I haven’t ma’am,’ and she said, ‘Can I please hug you because I know you’re my sister’ and I was like, ‘I’m not really comfortable with that,’” Brannon said.

She told her parents and her father approached the woman.

“I said, ‘You don’t have any right saying those things. Please stay away from my children, don’t talk to her anymore,’” Andrew Santisteban said. “She ran into my yard and hit me on the side of the face.”

He said he called 911 to report the battery.

When deputies confronted Drowne, they said she came out of her house armed with a gun that she pointed at them, prompting Henley and O’Neil to open fire.

Drowne died at an area hospital.

No further details about the incident were immediately available.


About the Authors:

Jerry Askin is an Atlanta native who came to News 6 in March 2018 with an extensive background in breaking news.