Man charged in shooting after 'numerous' rifles found in home

SARASOTA (FOX 13) - After a reported shooting, a man was arrested when deputies found rifles and drugs inside a home, they said.

Sarasota County deputies arrested John Slattery, 40, on Sunday night. They said they first responded to the 2500 block of Man of War Circle in Sarasota just before 9 p.m. after a woman called 911 to report a shooting.

According to a media release, they made contact with the woman and checked inside the home for anyone who may have been injured. When they entered the master bedroom, deputies found numerous rifles, an odor of fresh gun powder, and a man barricaded inside the closet.

When they entered the closet, they found Slattery lying on top of more rifles, the agency said. Deputies believed he may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol and he was transported to a hospital.

On Monday, after conducting a search warrant, detectives said they found evidence of meth and a gun being fired multiple times inside the home. There was no evidence of a home invasion or a burglary. The agency did not report the relationship between Slattery and the woman who called 911, or whether he lived in the home.

Slattery was charged with possession of meth, firing a deadly missile into a dwelling and using a firearm while under the influence.