Suspects were arrested for shootings at the Lake Wales Mud Hole in Central Florida.
After an exhaustive investigation in which detectives from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office identified and interviewed more than 100 people, three suspects were arrested and charged for the shooting of four people at the Lake Wales Mud Hole.
PCSO deputies responded at around 12:18am that day, after multiple people were reportedly shot at the property on Alturas Babson Park Cut-Off Road, west of US 27. Approximately 150 to 300 people had attended the party that had been advertised on social media as a gathering with, “Good vibes, good people, and no drama.”
An 18-year-old female from Lakeland who was still at the scene when deputies arrived had suffered a gunshot wound to her abdomen and was transported to a local hospital by ambulance where she remains in stable condition.
Three other victims were taken to hospitals by friends prior to deputies’ arrival. Those victims were: a 20-year-old female from Lake Wales (gunshot wound on right thigh), a 19-year-old male from Lakeland (gunshot wound to left arm), and a 21-year-old female from Eagle Lake (gunshot wound to left foot).
20-year-old Richard William Fante, of Lakeland, 19-year-old Cordae DeShawn Hammonds, of Avon Park, and 17-year-old Miguel Angel Colon, Jr., of Sebring, were charged with Attempted 2nd Degree Murder (4 counts) and Culpable Negligence (62 counts).
Detectives conducted many interviews of witnesses at the scene but also had to identify and locate additional witnesses over the following days as the investigation continued.
From the many interviews, the first two suspects were identified and both were arrested and taken to the Sheriff’s Processing Center this month. The third suspect was also arrested a few days later.
“This was an incredibly dangerous thing for young people to do and it’s a miracle nobody was killed,” said Sheriff Grady Judd. “I can’t tell you just how proud I am of everyone who worked on this investigation. We tapped into a lot of resources to investigate this case thoroughly, and to get it solved quickly.”
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