Gavin Lee Minden, Inverness, sentenced to 25 years for attempted murder at Walmart parking lot

State Attorney's Office, Fifth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida
Marion, Lake, Citrus, Sumter and Hernando counties

Citrus County, Florida - In the courtroom of the Honorable Judge Joel D. Fritton on January 14, 2025, 31 year-old Gavin Lee Minden of Inverness, Florida was sentenced to 25 years in the Florida Department of Corrections after pleading guilty and being convicted of two counts of attempted second-degree murder with a firearm, shooting at or into an occupied vehicle, and two counts of violation of a domestic violence injunction. Assistant State Attorney Kaitlyn Mannis prosecuted this case.

Under Florida's 10-20-Life law, Minden will serve his sentence day for day, with no time gained for the possibility of being released, earlier.

"Shooting a firearm in public, with the intent to kill human beings, is a heinous crime - that is deserving of this 25-year minimum-mandatory sentence," said Chief Assistant State Attorney Walter Forgie.

On April 8, 2024, the Citrus County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) dispatch center received a phone call that reported a shooting that had just occurred at the Walmart Supercenter, located at 2461 E. Gulf to Lake Highway in Inverness, Florida. The caller indicated that they and another person had fled from the parking lot after being shot at by Gavin Lee Minden.

Upon arrival at the store, CCSO deputies began searching for Minden. CCSO, assisted by the agency's Aviation Unit. He was quickly located, hiding near the wood line, not far from the incident location. The two victims were found at another location. One victim sustained a wound and was transported to z hospital for treatment. The second victim was not injured.

An investigation revealed that Minden, who knew the victims, shot through the back window of a truck, striking one victim in the back of the neck.

Surveillance video showed the events leading up to the shooting, which occurred near the bus stop at the front of Walmart. The victim's truck is seen approaching the bus stop and stopping near it. However, the shooting was not captured on camera. After a brief verbal altercation, the truck sped off with its window shattered.