ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Pinellas County deputies found 39-year-old Matthew Weisner shot in the head outside his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend's house in St. Petersburg. Now, they're working to determine if the shooter acted in self-defense.
The shooting happened around 8:37 p.m. on Sept. 4 on 79th Street N at 54th Avenue N.
Earlier in the evening, Weisner was with his girlfriend, 38-year-old Amber Souza, at her house in Pinellas Park. Detectives said the couple had been drinking alcohol and arguing when "Weisner began contacting Souza's previous boyfriends out of jealousy."
At one point Weisner called Souza's ex-boyfriend, 36-year-old Michael McMann, and began yelling at him while threatening to harm him with a firearm, according to the sheriff's office. Weisner also reportedly said he was driving to McMann's home.
When Weisner showed up in his black Chevrolet pickup truck, Michael McMann was not home, but his brother, 30-year-old Austin McMann was.
Austin told detectives he did not know who Weisner was but thought he may have been in a car accident due to the speed and angle at which he pulled up to the house. Weisner was stopped partially on the property and partially on the road.
Austin reportedly went outside with his own firearm and demanded that Weisner leave. That's when, according to detectives, Weisner started yelling and reached into the center console of his truck.
"Austin heard a sound he felt was consistent with the racking of a gun slide and saw corresponding movement," the sheriff's office wrote.
Detectives said Austin then fired multiple shots at Weisner, claiming he was in fear for his life. Austin went back inside the house and called 911.
According to the sheriff's office, Austin McMann has cooperated with the investigation and is claiming self-defense.
While Weisner is currently on life support at the hospital, detectives say he suffered "a non-survivable gunshot wound
to the head."
The investigation is ongoing.
