CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. – A 31-year-old man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for attempted murder following a shooting incident at an Inverness Walmart in 2024.
Gavin Lee Minden received the sentence from Judge Richard A. Howard after pleading guilty to two counts of attempted second-degree murder with a firearm, shooting at or into an occupied vehicle, and two counts of violation of a domestic violence injunction.
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“Shooting a firearm in public with the intent to kill human beings is a heinous crime that is deserving of this 25-year minimum-mandatory sentence,” said Chief Assistant State Attorney Walter Forgie.
On April 8, 2024, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting at the Inverness Walmart. A caller reported that they and another individual had been shot at by Minden and had fled the scene.
Deputies, with the assistance of an air unit, quickly located Minden hiding near the woods close to the incident location. The two victims were found safe at another location. One victim sustained a wound to the back of the neck and was transported to the hospital for treatment, while the other was uninjured.
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Surveillance footage captured the events leading up to the shooting, showing a verbal altercation between Minden and the victims near the Walmart bus stop. While the shooting itself was not captured on camera, the footage showed the victim’s truck speeding away with a shattered window.
Under Florida’s 10-20-Life law, Minden will serve his 25-year sentence day for day, with no possibility of early release.
Assistant State Attorney Kaitlyn Mannis prosecuted the case.
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