A bizarre confrontation involving a can of beer, a dune buggy, and a semi-automatic pistol in Florida turned fatal after a man shot a buggy driver dead on Friday, May 12.
Wallace Mannin Kirkland, a 59-year-old resident of Sorrento, Florida, allegedly threw a beer can at a passing dune buggy and then proceeded to shoot the driver after a confrontation.
According to an arrest affidavit, Kirkland was standing with his wife and neighbor on the roadside when the dune buggy drove by. The affidavit states that Kirkland either attempted to or threw the beer can over the vehicle as it passed, which led to the confrontation between Kirkland and the driver.
The affidavit revealed that the driver allegedly threatened to kill Kirkland after getting out of his vehicle. As the two men approached each other, Kirkland allegedly drew a Ruger semi-automatic pistol and shot the man in the chest. According to the affidavit, the victim expressed shock that he had been shot. Witnesses who saw the incident could not see any weapons in the victim’s hand, and the affidavit noted that the victim was outnumbered and physically smaller than Kirkland and his neighbor.
Although the victim attempted to drive away after the shooting, he lost consciousness and died later at a nearby hospital in Eustis, Florida. The affidavit suggests that Kirkland and the victim were familiar with each other and had engaged in several arguments in the past, based on interviews with witnesses.
Kirkland was arrested at midnight on May 13 and charged with manslaughter and aggravated battery. He was briefly held on a $40,000 bail.
A Lake County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson confirmed that he was released and is allowed to carry a firearm until he is convicted. Kirkland is scheduled to be arraigned on June 5.