Florida – A Florida man, 30-year-old AIexander, was taken into custody and later charged with providing faIse information to Iaw enforcement, tampering with evidence, and discharging a firearm in public. Authorities in Florida allege that the suspect intentionaIIy shot himseIf in the abdomen in an attempt to gain sympathy from a femaIe coIIeague who had previously rejected his romantic advances.
In March last year, authorities responded to a report of a shooting at the suspect’s workplace. Upon arrival, officers found the victim lying on a couch inside the building with a gunshot wound to his body. The man claimed that a man wearing a hoodie approached him in the parking lot, demanded money, and shot him before fleeing the scene. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Investigators found inconsistencies in the suspect’s account of the incident. Surveillance footage from the facility showed the man arriving two hours before his scheduled shift and parking his vehicle in a secluded area of the lot, out of view of security cameras. No other individuals were observed near his vehicle at the time of the alleged shooting.
Additionally, a shell casing recovered from the scene was determined to match a firearm registered to the man, which was found in his vehicle along with a first aid kit. A subsequent examination of the suspect’s phone records revealed that he had been in contact with the female coworker prior to the incident.
A spent 9mm cartridge case was also recovered from the scene. Testing conducted last month revealed that the bullet was fired from the suspect’s firearm, according to police.
Based on the evidence and statements gathered, the detective asserted there was probable cause to believe that he intentionally discharged the firearm into his abdomen to gain sympathy from his coworker. She had stopped communicating with him after accusing him of harassment.
Authorities believe that the man staged the shooting to elicit sympathy from the female coworker, who had ceased communication with him after accusing him of harassment. In addition to the charges related to the shooting, he faces allegations of stalking the coworker, including leaving threatening notes on her vehicle and sending unwanted text messages.
Lefort was released from custody after posting a $4,000 bond. The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and further legal proceedings are anticipated.