Second 'Deadly' Shooting in Two Days, One Person in Custody

SPRING HILL – Several people were shot Sunday evening at a local apartment complex and there are unconfirmed reports that one person has died.

The shooting occurred around 8:00 p.m. Sunday at Mariner Kay Apartments located on Northcliffe Blvd, where officials say three people were shot.

During a press conference, Sheriff Al Nienhuis told reporters that a vehicle occupied by five subjects pulled into the complex and was approached by the suspect. Nienhuis says that's when he opened fire on the vehicle, striking three occupants. The vehicle then fled the complex at a high rate of speed to the Publix shopping plaza on Mariner Blvd. Nienhuis says one of the victims ran into Publix and asked to call for help. All three subjects were transported to local trauma centers for treatment, according to Nienhuis.

R News received information that once Fire Rescue arrived on scene, they discovered one victim "signal 7" (deceased) in front of Great Clips. One of the victims is a juvenile, say sources. Reporters pressed him on the victim's conditions, but he refused to elaborate or confirm there were any fatalities.

Nienhuis says a "person of interest" was taken into custody within a few hours of the shooting. Before that, deputies cleared the Publix parking lot, announcing that an active shooter was still in the area.

Nearby businesses were placed on lockdown during the search.

On Saturday, a shooting occurred at Mermaid's Lounge on Commercial Way, where according to sources one person died and the shooter allegedly shot himself in the foot while fleeing the scene. The suspect drove himself to Bayonet Point Hospital, where he was treated for his injuries. It is believed that he is in custody at this time.

Video of the incident shows the suspect shooting the victim in the head and then firing three more shots into his lifeless body. R News is not publishing the video or releasing the victim's identity at this time.

The Sheriff's Office hasn't released any details into the Mermaid's shooting and they still haven't confirmed that the victim is deceased.

Nienhuis is up for re-election in the Primary this Tuesday and he touts that "crime is down" under his watch, but residents are starting to doubt those claims. With two fatal shootings, several stabbings, and the "Botched" Slaughterhouse investigation in just the last month, some say Nienhuis' chances of winning the election are dwindling.

Nienhuis' opponent Joe Puglia tells R News, "I have been saying since the beginning of my campaign that crime is up. This weekend alone there has been two fatal shootings in Spring Hill. Unfortunately, the Sheriff and his lack of forward vision have put us in a position of being a reactive police agency. If we continue with this flawed way of policing, it will only get worse. We need change immediately to stop this senseless violence."

Over the last year, R News has asked Nienhuis numerous times if he planned to add more patrols in the area of Northcliffe and Mariner, but he has never responded.

R News will continue to bring more on this story as it develops.