Man arrested for firing gun toward people at Collier County Fair

A man is behind bars after shooting off two rounds near kids and families at the Collier County Fair Wednesday night. It happened in the area where employees hang out.

People say this shooting is quite the anomaly; so it’s still business as usual as far as security goes.

The suspect, Caleb Hamm, 18, who is accused of shooting the gun never went through security. Had he, it’s likely the weapon would have been found.

Collier County Fair Board Member Mike Jones said, “You can’t fix stupid.”

“Nothing like this has ever happened on these grounds before that I’m aware of,” Jones added.

Jones said he was shocked the Fort Myers man shot a gun twice Wednesday night at two different people.

“It’s my understanding that Mr. Hamm is a boyfriend of an employee of the ride company, so she invited him on to the property, and I’m going to assume that the firearm was in a vehicle,” said Jones.

Hamm entered through the worker’s gate. It’s separate from the public entrance where everyone has to pass through security. “Their belongings are emptied into those bowls they come through the metal detectors,” said Jones.

The checkpoint is meant to keep people who are armed or could potentially endanger others, from entering a place meant for family fun. The point of a fair is to enjoy the rides, the food and all the animals, and safety is a top priority. “But when someone invites someone onto the grounds to visit them, there’s not a whole lot we can do about it,” said Jones.

Collier County Sheriff’s Office is onsite for situations like the one Hamm created. Jones said deputies had this handled in just moments. “The man was in custody, and the public was never in any danger,” said Jones.

Hamm had a fully loaded ghost gun. He faces two aggravated assault charges and is being held in the Collier County Jail.