Courtesy: Hernando County Sheriff's Office
BROOKSVILLE, Fla. - A man is dead after Hernando County deputies say he fired at family members and responding deputies during a violent argument over missing food Sunday afternoon, according to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.
Hernando deputy-involved shooting
What we know:
Ryan Fontes, 41, was killed by gunfire during the deputy-involved shooting on Audubon Drive near Brooksville, Sheriff Al Nienhuis said during a Monday update.
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The incident began shortly after 2:30 p.m. Sunday when deputies received a call from a family reporting that Fontes was firing rounds. The HCSO call taker could hear multiple gunshots in the background, according to the sheriff's office.
Food argument leads to gunfire
The backstory:
Nienhuis said Fontes had gotten into an argument with family members over food that was missing from the home. The argument became violent, and two family members were hit by Fontes during the altercation before retreating inside the home.
As the two victims tried to get inside through the back door, Fontes retrieved a firearm from another building where he lived on the property, according to investigators.
Fontes then went to the back of the home and fired at least two rounds through the back door as the victims tried to escape.
The victims were able to get inside and lock themselves in a bathroom, where they hid in a bathtub.
Investigators believe Fontes then went to the front of the home and fired at least one round through the front door before returning to the building where he lived.
What we don't know:
Neither victim was hit by gunfire, and the sheriff's office is not releasing their identities because of Marsy's Law.
Deputies exchanged gunfire with suspect
Dig deeper:
When deputies began arriving, Fontes was on the front porch of the building, according to the sheriff's office.
Deputies heard gunshots as they approached the edge of the property. Investigators believe Fontes fired at least one round, and possibly several, toward the deputies.
Investigators later found bullet holes in a truck believed to belong to Fontes. The truck was parked in the driveway between Fontes and the responding deputies, and investigators said the trajectory of the bullets appeared to be toward the deputies.
Deputies returned fire.
"You shoot at a deputy, the deputy is going to shoot back if they can tell where you are," Nienhuis said.
At least three deputies fired at least one shot each, according to the sheriff.
Fontes was hit by gunfire at least once. Nienhuis said between one and two dozen rounds were fired at Fontes.
The sheriff's office said no deputies were injured.
Fontes retreated into the building where he lived and was later found dead inside after deputies determined it was safe to enter.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement was contacted and took over the investigation, according to the sheriff's office.
The three deputies who fired their weapons have been placed on administrative leave pending internal affairs and preliminary FDLE investigations.
Sheriff addresses mental health
What they're saying:
Nienhuis said Fontes had a history of mental health issues and described the incident as involving "some pretty extreme violence."
The sheriff urged families dealing with someone experiencing mental health issues to seek help.
"The lesson here is, you know, for family members, try to get those individuals help," Nienhuis said. "I know it's difficult sometimes when they don't want to take their medication and so forth. But this is the result, you may want to consider getting an attorney, and, or go to the courthouse and try to get an ex parte order to see if we can get a judge to have them involuntarily committed."
Nienhuis also warned about the danger of firing at law enforcement.
"When you do shoot at a deputy you are certainly going to risk your life. And in this case, unfortunately, Mr. Fontes is deceased as a result of that," Nienhuis said.
FDLE investigation
What's next:
The sheriff's office said the investigation is ongoing and additional information may be released as it becomes available.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from official statements, news conference updates provided by Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis, and reports from the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.