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Man charged with 3 attempted homicides after allegedly firing 26 shots in Sarasota dumpster dispute

By
FOX 13 News
Sarasota
Published August 19, 2026 2:21 PM EDT
Published August 19, 2026 2:21 PM EDT
article

Courtesy: Sarasota County Sheriff's Office

The Brief

    • A Florida man was arrested Saturday afternoon after opening fire with a rifle during a dispute in Sarasota. 
    • Deputies said 26 rounds were fired at three workers who arrived to secure the property, but no injuries were reported. 
    • The gunman claimed he acted in self-defense. However, investigators noted discrepancies in his story, including the color of the victims' vehicle. 

SARASOTA, Fla. - A 41-year-old man was arrested Saturday after firing 26 rounds from a rifle at three men during a feud on 51st Street in Sarasota, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. 

Sarasota dumpster dispute shooting

What we know:

Deputies say three men had been golfing on Saturday when one of their employers asked them to check on and secure an overflowing garbage dumpster at 51st Street. The trio drove through an unsecured gate toward the back of the building, where one victim got out and gestured toward the dumpster to explain their presence to a shirtless man sitting inside the warehouse, according to SCSO.

The man, identified by authorities as Riley Woiak, grabbed a rifle and yelled at them to leave. Despite the victim pleading with him not to shoot and heading back to the car, Woiak allegedly opened fire, forcing the victims to flee as bullets struck near their vehicle until it emitted black smoke. 

Self-defense claim and evidence

What they're saying:

Woiak told deputies he feared for his life after seeing an unknown man on his property, prompting him to grab his rifle for self-defense. Reports say Woiak claimed he fired warning shots into the air and believed the victim was under the influence of hard drugs because he stood still. This led to Woiak to point the rifle directly at him and fire an entire magazine, or close to it, according to deputies. According to reports, he then called deputies. 

During questioning, Woiak stated, "his rifle had iron sites that had not been adjusted, had there been a sighted red dot, we would have had a different conversation," according to the report.

Meanwhile, all three victims told deputies they believed they were in fear for their lives and that Woiak was going to kill them.

Woiak faces three counts of second-degree attempted homicide. 

Gunfire captured on camera

By the numbers:

 Reports state that surveillance video recovered from the scene captured audio of inaudible yelling followed by the sound of 26 gunshots. 

The Source: The information in this story was gathered from official incident report details provided by the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, as well as statements given to deputies by Riley Woiak and the three victims involved in the incident. 

Sarasota