CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. — An argument at a bar turned deadly early Friday morning in Citrus County after a man was shot and killed.
The shooting happened at Norton's Riverside Bar and Grill in downtown Crystal River. Deputies responded shortly before 1:30 a.m. and reported finding 26-year-old Edward Bennis in the parking lot with "several gunshot wounds." He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Gabriel Trainor, 24 of Lake Panasoffkee, was arrested for the shooting, according to the sheriff's office.
It all started with what deputies described as a "minor altercation" between Trainor and another person at the bar. Once it spilled out onto a patio, an employee at the bar, Bennis, yelled at them to stop, the sheriff's office explained in a news release.
Trainor is said to have then walked out to his car.
Several minutes later, deputies explained that the argument between Bennis and Trainor continued. This time, Trainor was armed with a handgun and is accused of shooting Bennis multiple times.
"This is a tragic incident. My condolences go out to the family of Mr. Bennis," Sheriff Mike Prendergast said. "Unfortunately, arguments too often turn violent when alcohol is involved. Trainor not only made the decision to take another man's life but also endangered other citizens with his reckless discharge of a firearm. This behavior will not be tolerated in Citrus County, and we will work diligently with our partners in the Fifth Judicial Circuit to ensure Trainor is no longer a danger to our law-abiding citizens."
Trainor is now facing a second-degree murder charge and is being held without bond.
