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SPRING HILL, Fla. - A shootout between two Spring Hill neighbors ended with injuries and multiple felony charges for a 26-year-old man, according to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies say several calls came late Monday night reporting 15–20 shots fired, people in the street and a body in a front yard a few blocks away.
Sheriff Al Nienhuis took to social media on Tuesday morning to dispel rumors that were circulating.
What they're saying:
He said that two neighbors got into a gunfight, but the body reportedly in the yard was a Halloween decoration.
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Investigators were able to determine that 26-year-old Ryan Aceto was the instigator of the incident after interviews with his girlfriend and his neighbor.
The backstory:
Aceto’s girlfriend told investigators that he was drinking heavily throughout the night and early morning hours.
The neighbor told deputies he received a motion alert from his home surveillance system before seeing Aceto in his front yard. When he went outside, Aceto tried to buy drugs, a request that was rejected.
The neighbor then asked Aceto to leave, and while walking back toward his home, Aceto grabbed a gun and began shooting.
The neighbor quickly returned fire and struck Aceto in the shoulder.
Video footage of the exchange matched the neighbor’s version of the story, according to deputies.
Aceto was the only person hit by a bullet, according to HCSO. He suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Charges
- Attempted homicide
- Shooting into an occupied dwelling
- Armed trespassing
- Discharging a firearm in public
What's next:
Aceto will be taken to the Hernando County Detention Center when he is released from the hospital.
The shooting is under investigation.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.