Gavin Minden arrested after Inverness Walmart shooting; victim in stable condition
Gavin and patrol vehicles. Photo graphic courtesy of CCSO.
Citrus County Sheriff's Office (CCSO)
Inverness, Florida - On Monday night, April 8, 2024, Citrus County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) deputies were dispatched to the Walmart Supercenter, located at 2461 E. Gulf to Lake Hwy. (SR 44) in Inverness, due to a shooting that had occurred in the store's parking lot.
Deputies arrived on scene to find that the suspect - later identified as 30 year-old Gavin Minden - had ran from the area, headed toward the adjacent Lowe's hardware store, also located at 2461 E. Gulf to Lake Hwy.
The CCSO Aviation Unit was deployed to assist with searching for Minden. He was quickly located and taken into custody. He was transported to the Citrus County Detention Center in Lecanto, Florida, charged with two counts of attempted homicide, and one count of shooting into an occupied conveyance. His bond was set at none.
According to Sydney Hudson, CCSO Community Relations Specialist, when deputies arrived on scene, the two victims involved in the incident had driven away from the area to seek a safer location.
Detectives obtained the store's surveillance video footage, leading up to and after the shooting, which occurred near the bus stop at the front of the Walmart store. The victim's truck is seen approaching the bus stop and stopping near it. The shooting was not captured on camera; however, after a brief verbal altercation, the truck sped off, and Minden was seen running from the area.
According to Hudson, Minden, who was acquainted with the victims, shot through the back window of the truck, striking one victim in the back of the neck. The second victim was not injured. The injured victim was later transported to a hospital, and was in stable condition at the time of the press release.
"Minden's reckless actions in a public area not only endangered the lives of the two victims directly involved, but also posed a serious threat to our citizens," said Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast. "I am proud of the teamwork between our deputies and Aviation Unit for swiftly locating and apprehending Minden, preventing him from further endangering our community."