Identity of Port of the Islands Resort murder-suicide suspect revealed

Reporter: Michelle Alvarez
Published: Updated:
Credit: WINK

We now know the identity of the suspect in a murder-suicide at a popular resort in Collier County.

Collier County Sheriff’s Office deputies said James Gamble, 64, walked into the Port of the Islands Resort, shot and killed an employee, and then turned the weapon on himself.

Gamble was a former employee at the resort.

This happened on New Year’s Eve. The victim, who deputies identified as Zachary Michael Ludwig, died of his injuries.

CCSO deputies responded and immediately evacuated the hotel. Then, deputies searched the facility and the area around it.

WINK talked with a former employee who didn’t want to be identified. The employee said Gamble used to work there but lost his management role.

The victim, he told us, was a young man who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The hotel is open and taking reservations, but there are still a lot of unanswered questions that the sheriff’s office has not confirmed.

WINK will continue to push for answers.

Stay tuned to WINKNews.com, WINK News App, streaming, and on air for any new developments on this story.

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