Man arrested in Hernando County, FL for attempted murder of two Floral City residents
U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force
Hernando County Jail, Brooksville, FL
Citrus County, Floridea - On Sunday afternoon, Jan. 3, 2021, the Citrus County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) responded to a disturbance, reported by the two victims in Floral City, that had occurred during the early morning hours between the two victims and a man on a neighboring property named Christian.
According to one of the victims, 49 year-old Christian Gard of Dade City, had fired a shotgun in their direction, at least four times. The second victim told a deputy that the suspect had pointed the shotgun in their direction and pulled the trigger, but the gun failed to go off. Investigators determined that Mr. Gard had brandished a second firearm at the end of the confrontation. Neither of the victims were injured during the incident.
When detectives arreved at the incident location, Gard, a two-time convicted felon, had already left the area.
Due to the statements of the victims and the evidence found at the scene, Detective Slingerland obtained a warrant for Gard's arrest. Members of the CCSO's Tactical Impact Unit (TIU) and the United States Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force began to track Mr. Gard.
"As a convicted felon, Gard should never have had the firearms he used to commit this violent crime," said Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast. "Gard demonstrated his lack of respect for our laws and the lives of his victims. The Citrus County Sheriff's Office used every resource available to locate Gard and make sure he was safely taken into custody."
On Tuesday, Jan. 19, members of the United States Marshals Florida Fugitive Task Force located Gard at a residence in Hernando County, and was taken into custody reference the Citrus County warrant. He was incarcerated at the Hernando County Jail in Brooksville, Florida on two counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The warrant set his bond at $55,000, but on Jan. 20, his bond was changed to a no bond status by a Hernando County judge.