Spring Hill shooting suspect opened fire on garage to ‘scare’ resident into paying $2K debt: Deputies

SPRING HILL, Fla. - Hernando County deputies have arrested a man they say fired shots into a Spring Hill garage on Sunday morning. 

According to deputies, a resident of a home on Kimball Court called 911 around 9 a.m. on Sunday and said shots were being fired into his home while he was sleeping. 

The victim told investigators that he had been sleeping in the garage, which was converted into a room, when he awoke to the sound of a gunshot and the feeling of something passing by his head.

According to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, the victim went on to say that he believed the shooting was gang related. 

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Deputies discovered two 9 mm shell casings in the roadway in front of the home. 

Stacey Barnes mugshot courtesy of the Hernando County Sheriff's Office. 

Investigators identified Stacey Barnes as a suspect and say he confessed to the crime during an interview at HCSO. 

According to HCSO, Barnes told investigators that he opened fire on the Kimball Court home because the person inside owed him $2,000. Deputies say Barnes told them that he wanted to scare the victim in hopes of getting the money quickly. He added that he fired into the garage to avoid hitting anyone. 

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Barnes has been charged with firing a weapon in public or on residential property and firing a missile into an occupied dwelling. 

Nobody was injured in the shooting. 

The case is still under investigation.