3 dead in shooting at Orange County motorcycle club ID’d

Sheriff John Mina says argument over motorcycle led to shooting

ORLANDO, Fla. – Three men were killed and another was injured in a shooting early Friday at a private motorcycle club in Orange County, Sheriff John Mina said.

The shooting was reported around 1:55 a.m. at a warehouse that’s been converted into a motorcycle club in a warehouse along North Forsyth Road near Patridge Lane in Orlando.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said deputies found two men dead at the scene. The other two victims self-transported to a hospital, where one of them died, according to deputies.

Sheriff’s officials on Monday identified the victims who died as: Juan Mendez, 32; Christopher David Torres, 28; and Michael Anthony Torres, 29.   

The surviving victim, who suffered a non-life-threatening injury, is not cooperating with the investigation, Mina said.

Mina said there was a large gathering and an argument or confrontation took place over a motorcycle before several shots were fired, possibly by multiple people.

Mina said there were several witnesses, so he’s hoping they come forward to shed more light on the quadruple shooting.

“We’re looking for the people who fired these shots,” said Mina, adding that it’s not known if the surviving victim had a gun."

“I saw the place was taped off and it surprised me. I heard there’s three people dead and I was like ‘wow, so close," said Roland Ford.

Ford works at one of the businesses in the same warehouse where the shooting happened. Some of the businesses were closed Friday while the investigation was ongoing.

Mannie Hernandez has been in the community for nearly 30 years and owns a auto repair shop a block away.

“To happen so close to work, close to a school... that’s alarming to say the least," said Hernandez.

During the investigation, SWAT teams were called to clear the entire building.

Mina said the shooting is not related to gang activity that’s been prevalent in the county over the past several weeks.

“There’s no immediate threat to anyone in the area or who works nearby,” said Mina, adding that all the people involved likely knew each other.

Investigators are checking surveillance video from nearby businesses for any other clues.

The shooting comes a day after a triple shooting at a Melbourne restaurant.


About the Authors:

Daniel started with WKMG-TV in 2000 and became the digital content manager in 2009. When he's not working on ClickOrlando.com, Daniel likes to head to the beach or find a sporting event nearby.

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!