PALMETTO, Fla. — A man shot in the head during a fight on Oct. 20 has died from his injuries, according to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office. Now, the accused shooter is facing murder charges.
Deputies first responded around 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 20 to the area of 2nd Avenue W and 15th Street W in Palmetto. They arrived to find a 60-year-old man lying along the side of the road with a gunshot wound to his head.
The man was transported to the hospital in critical condition and has since died.
Through the investigation, detectives said they determined that the man had been in a fight with Leroy Hope Sr. prior to the shooting.
According to investigators, the man was riding his bicycle when Hope drove up next to him, got out of the car, and shot the man before driving away — all in response to the prior altercation.
Hope was arrested on Oct. 21 on an unrelated charge of DUI as detectives were still working to identify him as a suspect. He has now been charged with second-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
