Charlotte County drug trafficker sentenced to 10 years‘How to sign away parental rights?’; Lehigh Acres woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County drug trafficker sentenced to 10 years A Charlotte County man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking.
lehigh acres ‘How to sign away parental rights?’; Lehigh Acres woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby.
Punta Gorda Man accused of indecent exposure at school bus stop in Punta Gorda The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of indecent exposure at a school bus stop in Punta Gorda.
estero Firefighters to perform 76-acre prescribed burn at Koreshan State Park San Carlos Park Fire Protection & Rescue Service District performs a 76-acre prescribed burn at Koreshan State Park today.
Tim Aten Knows: 2 new eateries coming to East Naples After operating La Rosa Pizzeria for more than 15 years, owners Bill and Alda Rosa decided to sell their local business and restaurant space.
the weather authority Warmer with sun and clouds for your Friday plans The Weather Authority is tracking a warmer day ahead, with a mixture of sun and clouds expected this Friday afternoon.
FDOT to open all lanes of Caloosahatchee Bridge year ahead of construction schedule The Florida Department of Transportation announced it will open all lanes of the Caloosahatchee Bridge a year ahead of its pedestrian sidewalk project.
NAPLES 12-year-old collecting donations for the needy during the holidays A 12-year-old Naples boy isn’t worried about what he’s getting for Christmas. Instead, he’s working on his 6th annual “Holiday Sock Drive.”
Fort Myers man facing homelessness before the holidays A 75-year-old man is on the brink of homelessness despite working over 80 hours a week.
NAPLES Adoptee uses non-profit to provide suitcases for foster children This holiday season, a Naples woman is on a mission to bring foster children something many take for granted: a suitcase filled with dignity.
MARCO ISLAND City of Marco Island discusses lead awareness during city council meeting The city of Marco Island sent out 4900 letters to residents warning them that their pipes could contain plastic or lead.
NAPLES The future of electric planes in Southwest Florida Features of living near an airport include persistent headache-inducing engine rumbles and foul-smelling jet fuel, but electric planes could play a part in the solution.
PORT CHARLOTTE Neighbors awaiting answers on Port Charlotte Beach Park repairs Neighbors said a contractor hired by the Florida Division of Emergency Management mishandled the boats at Port Charlotte Beach Park.
FGCU introduces new technology for cognitive health screenings Ten minutes. That’s all it takes for doctors to assess how well you remember, how quickly you learn things, and how your brain is working overall.
WINK Investigates: Disgraced contractor faces new lawsuits and allegations Paul Beattie, a disgraced home builder is back doing business but legal challenges continue as another one of his businesses gets sued. Former employees of Beattie speak out, only to WINK.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County drug trafficker sentenced to 10 years A Charlotte County man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking.
lehigh acres ‘How to sign away parental rights?’; Lehigh Acres woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby.
Punta Gorda Man accused of indecent exposure at school bus stop in Punta Gorda The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of indecent exposure at a school bus stop in Punta Gorda.
estero Firefighters to perform 76-acre prescribed burn at Koreshan State Park San Carlos Park Fire Protection & Rescue Service District performs a 76-acre prescribed burn at Koreshan State Park today.
Tim Aten Knows: 2 new eateries coming to East Naples After operating La Rosa Pizzeria for more than 15 years, owners Bill and Alda Rosa decided to sell their local business and restaurant space.
the weather authority Warmer with sun and clouds for your Friday plans The Weather Authority is tracking a warmer day ahead, with a mixture of sun and clouds expected this Friday afternoon.
FDOT to open all lanes of Caloosahatchee Bridge year ahead of construction schedule The Florida Department of Transportation announced it will open all lanes of the Caloosahatchee Bridge a year ahead of its pedestrian sidewalk project.
NAPLES 12-year-old collecting donations for the needy during the holidays A 12-year-old Naples boy isn’t worried about what he’s getting for Christmas. Instead, he’s working on his 6th annual “Holiday Sock Drive.”
Fort Myers man facing homelessness before the holidays A 75-year-old man is on the brink of homelessness despite working over 80 hours a week.
NAPLES Adoptee uses non-profit to provide suitcases for foster children This holiday season, a Naples woman is on a mission to bring foster children something many take for granted: a suitcase filled with dignity.
MARCO ISLAND City of Marco Island discusses lead awareness during city council meeting The city of Marco Island sent out 4900 letters to residents warning them that their pipes could contain plastic or lead.
NAPLES The future of electric planes in Southwest Florida Features of living near an airport include persistent headache-inducing engine rumbles and foul-smelling jet fuel, but electric planes could play a part in the solution.
PORT CHARLOTTE Neighbors awaiting answers on Port Charlotte Beach Park repairs Neighbors said a contractor hired by the Florida Division of Emergency Management mishandled the boats at Port Charlotte Beach Park.
FGCU introduces new technology for cognitive health screenings Ten minutes. That’s all it takes for doctors to assess how well you remember, how quickly you learn things, and how your brain is working overall.
WINK Investigates: Disgraced contractor faces new lawsuits and allegations Paul Beattie, a disgraced home builder is back doing business but legal challenges continue as another one of his businesses gets sued. Former employees of Beattie speak out, only to WINK.
FORT MYERS, Fla.- A 20-year-old Okeechobee man was killed and five others were injured Saturday night after shots were fired during the annual Zombicon event in downtown Fort Myers. Expavious Tyrell Taylor The shootings happened at about 11:45 p.m. in front of Los Cabos Cantina, 2224 First St. Authorities identified the victim as Expavious Tyrell Taylor, a former Clewiston High School football player who was an offensive linebacker for ASA College in North Miami Beach. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Taylor was killed about two weeks after his birthday. “Classes done for the day thank goodness now to go home and relax for the day/weekend,” he wrote on his Facebook page on Thursday. Fort Myers police have not released the names and conditions of the other victims. Four were treated and released from Lee Memorial Hospital with non-life threatening injuries and a fifth refused medical treatment. No suspect information was immediately available. From festive to chaos About 20,000 people were estimated at Saturday’s event, which was so packed that attendees stood shoulder to shoulder. And then shots rang out. “I just heard about 5, 6 shots,” said Jose Mendez, who was walking near Taylor when the shots were fired. “When I looked, I saw the guy fall down. I stayed right there and then his brother started jumping on top of him crying and crying and screaming and stuff like that.” One cell phone video captured four gunshots. Another recorded attendees running through downtown after the shots were fired. “There’s blood everywhere,” one person said in a third video. That video also captured a man grieving over a body lying on the sidewalk. After being pulled away from the body, the man was then consoled by an unidentified woman. The Halloween-like atmosphere, with patrons wearing costumes with fake bloody injuries and carrying fake weapons, made it difficult for law enforcement to tell the injured from the non-injured, said James Didio, who was handing out bottles of water at the event when he heard four shots. “A male walked over to me…and he asked me if he was shot,” he said. “I looked down and his legs had multiple wounds at which point I asked him to have a seat, let’s get medics to come over.” Don Small, who works at Capone’s Coal Fired Pizza, said the event quickly went from festive to chaotic. “It was like total mayhem then,” he said. “Little kids almost getting trampled. You know, people coming around trying to jump over a very hot grill…stove. We’re pushing people inside the restaurant and you know, take cover, because we didn’t know which way the person was running. If he was running back around, if they had snatched him.” Investigators have not said what led to the shootings. Bringing happiness to others Despite losing both parents, his grandmother and an unborn child within the last two years, Taylor was able to draw smiles out of others. “He always had that mentality to make everybody laugh,” said his uncle, Efram Washington. “It’s a hard pill to swallow. You never want to bury a child. You never want to bury a sibling at all, period. Especially when they try to do everything that’s right. You don’t understand why somebody would do something like this.” Taylor turned to football, where he caught the eye of coaches at ASA College. Out of 175 players that attended an open tryout, Taylor was one of six who made the cut, head coach Ernest Jones said. “What I most remember about him is that he had a lot of energy,” he said. “He never got tired. He said ‘I can run 16 more, I’ll do whatever you want me to do. I want to be part of this team.’ So as coaches we’re like ‘Who’s this kid? Where did he come from?'” Taylor was planning to visit family after stopping in Fort Myers. Now relatives, who were returning from burying a loved one, are planning his funeral. “I’m still hurting for him cause of what he went through, and he still managed to make the best out of life,” Washington said. “‘Cause he put the right people in his life. And he tried to do what’s right, he did what’s right. But you know, you can do everything right, and at the spare of a moment…” Organizers, leaders react Event organizers posted a statement on Zombicon’s Facebook page, saying they were “deeply saddened” by the shootings. “We take the safety of our patrons very seriously and take precautions in hiring security and police officers for our annual event,” they said. “Our prayers go out to the family members and individuals involved in the incident.” Shootings at large outdoor events with public access are hard to prevent, Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott said. “Any loss of life is tragic and yet we see it all over the country from churches to schools to movie theaters and most anywhere people gather,” he said in a statement. “Last night’s incident with 20,000 plus people is near impossible to predict or prevent.” Authorities hope video and pictures from attendees will help lead to an arrest. “These random acts of violence will be deterred and ultimately eradicated through the deployment of cameras, arrest, and successful prosecution of the perpetrators,” Fort Myers Mayor Randall Henderson said in a statement. “I want to thank all citizens who have shown bravery and resolve in assisting law enforcement through their capturing of these heinous acts with personal cameras and testimony. With everyone pulling in the same direction we will solve this problem.” Small, the pizza shop employee, believes Saturday’s shooting will negatively impact future Zombicon events. “I think this person has no idea what he did for this event and how it may have hurt upcoming events in the future,” he said. Anyone with information about the shootings, including photos or cell phone video taken around the time of the shooting, is asked to contact Fort Myers police at (239) 321-7700 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS.