AVON PARK, Fla. (WFLA) — One person is dead after a shooting occurred at a basketball court in Avon Park, the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday.
HCSO responded to a call about a shooting on Fred Conner Street around 6:18 p.m. on Monday.
According to HCSO, deputies arrived on the scene and found 18-year-old Carlos Manuel Fuentes lying on the ground. He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
HCSO said Eric Von Ferguson Jr., 19, was a passenger in a car that pulled up on the grass next to the basketball court. Fuentes walked up to the driver’s side of the car, spoke with someone inside, and was shot by Ferguson, according to HCSO.
Ferguson was accused of leaving the area and throwing the gun into a lake. He was arrested Tuesday morning, seven hours after the first 911 calls about the incident came in.
“This was great work by our Criminal Investigations Unit to make such a quick arrest, but it would not have been as quick if not for many anonymous tips that we received via our app,” Highlands County Sheriff Paul Blackman said. “Those proved to be a huge help, and we want to thank anyone who assisted our investigation.”