ORLANDO, Fla. – A 51-year-old man is facing multiple charges after Orlando police say he fired a gun at a neighbor during an argument over cleaning up after a dog.
The shooting happened Tuesday night at the Debra Metrowest Apartments near Florida’s Turnpike and South Kirkman Road. Residents told News 6 they heard a loud bang outside their window shortly after 10 p.m.
“I looked at him and was like, is that a gunshot?” resident Stephanie Angelone said. She and her boyfriend, Alexander Pagan, said they were eating dinner when they heard the gunfire.
According to an arrest report, the victim told officers he was walking his dog inside the complex when his neighbor, identified as Cristiano Lamanna, began yelling from his balcony for him to pick up after the pet. Police said the argument escalated, with Lamanna allegedly grabbing a pistol and confronting the man in a stairwell.
The report states the victim asked Lamanna, “Are you going to shoot me?” before Lamanna allegedly pointed a gun at his face and fired a round close to his ear.
“When I looked outside, I saw four police cars, and it looked like they already had the guy,” Pagan said.
Lamanna was booked into the Orange County Jail on charges including aggravated assault with a firearm and discharging a weapon on residential property.
In court Wednesday, Lamanna’s attorney argued the case falls under Florida’s “stand your ground” law.
“This was an incident where my client was on his own property, on the second floor of his apartment. A stand your ground motion will be forthcoming,” the attorney said, adding Lamanna had no prior criminal history.
Residents who recently moved into the complex said they were shocked the confrontation escalated to gunfire.
“It’s really crazy, especially for something that is so minuscule,” Angelone said. “I think it’s a little ridiculous that something that minor can cause an outburst like that. It’s very Florida.”
Jail records show Lamanna is being held on a $5,100 bond.