A 72-year-old Florida man is behind bars after allegedly shooting at door-to-door salesmen as they left his property.
The two salesmen were selling solar panel packages in a neighborhood in Port Charlotte on Monday, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office said. They said they knocked on one door and “were greeted by a woman who was upset that they were there and told them to leave.”
They did so promptly, but as they were leaving, they heard gunshots and “turned to see a man, later identified as William Mark Williams, pointing a gun in their direction.” He fired several more shots at them as they ran to a neighbor’s home and pounded on the door.
The neighbor sent the men into her backyard as she called 911. Deputies arrived on the scene and detained Williams, identified as the shooter by the victims. The neighbor also said she heard gunshots just before the two men pounded on her door.
“Once again we are called out to a neighborhood in which a firearm was discharged recklessly,” said Sheriff Bill Prummell. “Thankfully, nobody was hurt by this individual’s actions, though I am sure the victims will not forget the fear they felt any time soon.”
The sheriff’s office said it secured a search warrant for Williams’ home and found multiple firearms and ammunition inside as well as one spent and one unspent casing outside. Williams refused to speak with detectives and demanded an attorney.
He was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and discharging a firearm in public and was ordered held without bond.
