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2 business partners die after shooting each other in Lakeland, deputies say

Investigators say they believe the men shot each other as a result of an ongoing business dispute.

LAKELAND, Fla. — Two business partners are dead after shooting each other Thursday afternoon in Lakeland, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said.

The shooting happened around 3:10 p.m. at a business off of U.S. Highway 92 near Fish Hatchery Road.

Investigators said 31-year-old Akeido Bennett and 39-year-old Xavier Figueroa, both of Kissimmee, were in an ongoing dispute when they mutually shot each other. 

Bennett died at the scene, while Figueroa died after attempting to drive away from the business in his truck, according to the sheriff's office.

"This was an avoidable tragedy stemming from a disagreement between business partners. We all have an obligation to our friends, our families, and society at large to talk things out instead of turning to violence. These men would
still be alive today, and their families would not be grieving, had they been
able to work out their differences civilly," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a release.

The investigation is ongoing.

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