Former Army Ranger Fernando Duarte was shot and killed Sunday outside of a casino in Florida after winning a prize at the slot machines.
Duarte, 33, was playing the slots at the Miccosukee Resort & Casino in Miami-Dade, but shortly after an altercation was found dead, the Miami Herald reports.
His family said Duarte served in the military for twelve years, including deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Police say that everything began to head downhill after Duarte got into “a brief verbal altercation” with two black men, Mikey Tyquan Lenard and Kenin Sherrod Bailey while still inside the casino.
The incident in question carried on into the parking lot outside the casino, though it’s unclear if Duarte’s winnings at the slots had anything to do with it. Lenard and Bailey cut off Duarte twice, at which point Duarte got out of his car and approached their vehicle, investigators stated.
“The firearm wasn’t discharged once. It was discharged 13 times. The co-defendant continued to discharge the weapon even after the victim fell to the ground,” a prosecutor said Tuesday.
“The odd thing is the man’s down and he continues to fire another multiple shots. There is probable cause for first-degree murder,” the judge added.
That’s when Bailey pulled out a gun and shot the unarmed Duarte in the shoulder, leg and wrist, while Lenard was driving. A total of 13 shots were fired. Bailey reported the incident to a security guard and said he shot Duarte in self-defense.
Although Duarte was rushed to a local medical center, it was too late. He died in the middle of surgery, according to police.
It wasn’t long before police arrested Lenard and Bailey, charging them with first-degree murder. Both are being held without bond.
