VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A DeLand man yelled "you ruined my life" after shooting a man he knew in the stomach then later stashed the gun in a trash can outside of Denny's while claiming that he was being chased by someone with an AK-47, according to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies said Jeremy Blais had been arguing with the victim Sunday because Blais lives in a van on the victim's property. They had been in a disagreement about where Blais was storing some cleaning items and other belongings.
When the victim and his girlfriend returned to the West Palmetto Avenue home around 9:40 p.m., Blais approached them with a box in his hands, then moved the box so he could shoot the victim in the stomach, the report said.
Witnesses said Blais didn't say anything before the shooting, but afterward he yelled, "You ruined my life," according to the affidavit.
A woman who had been with Blais prior to the shooting said he made a comment that he would shoot the victim if he made any comments about the living situation, the report said.
After the shooting, deputies said Blais ran to a nearby a Denny's. Witnesses there said Blais claimed that he was being chased by someone with an AK-47, then threw a silver handgun with a wooden grip in a trash can outside of the restaurant, according to the affidavit.
Blais then approached a DeLand Police Department officer who was in his patrol car filing out a report.
Blais was arrested on an attempted murder charge. He's being held without bond at the Volusia County Jail.
Deputies said the victim was alert and conscious when they arrived at the home and was able to identify Blais as the shooter. He was taken to Central Florida Regional Hospital in Sanford, where he underwent surgery.