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Lakeland man arrested in deadly shooting stemming from argument over stolen gun: Police

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Published  May 1, 2025 9:09pm EDT
Lakeland
FOX 13 News

The Brief

    • A Lakeland man was arrested for first-degree murder after shooting and killing a man at a convenience store.
    • Detectives said he shot and killed a man who worked at his house a few weeks before the shooting.
    • They said the suspect believed the victim stole a gun from him during that time.

LAKELAND, Fla. - A suspect was arrested Thursday after a deadly shooting at a Lakeland convenience store, officers said. 

The Lakeland Police Department said Ricardo Zelidon, 59, was arrested after the shooting, which happened before 5 a.m. at the Fast Stop convenience store, which is located at 820 East Memorial Boulevard. 

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Dig deeper:

After arriving at the scene, police said they found Zelidon behind his vehicle with his hands up and the victim, 45-year-old Jessie Woullard inside his vehicle with gunshot wounds. Woullard was taken to Lakeland Regional Health, but was pronounced dead, according to officials. 

Detectives said they learned Zelidon was at the Fast Stop for several minutes before Woullard arrived. Once the victim pulled into a parking space, Zelidon is accused of pulling up behind his vehicle, blocking him from leaving. Woullard tried to back out, but he wasn't able to, authorities said. 

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The suspect got out of his vehicle carrying a gun and wearing a ballistic vest, and got into a short argument with Woullard. That's when Zelidon opened Woullard's door and shot him twice, according to investigators. 

The suspect retreated back to his vehicle and waited for police to arrive. 

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LPD officials said they learned Zelidon paid Woullard to work at his home a few weeks ago and believed Woullard stole a gun during that time. 

Zelidon was arrested for first-degree murder. The investigation into the shooting remains active. 

What you can do:

Anyone with information on this shooting is asked to contact LPD Detective Biko Duhaney at (863) 834-5918 or biko.duhaney@lakelandgov.net. 

The Source: The information in this story was released by the Lakeland Police Department. 

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