A man has been charged with shooting and killing his adult stepson following what police described as a domestic dispute over the popular video game Fortnite.
Kelly Garcia, 43, and his wife, Adriane Daza, 48, were at their home in Davenport, Florida, on Wednesday evening, with Daza’s son, Azareel Martinez, 26, and her two minor children, ages 9 and 11.
According to Davenport police, the 9-year-old son was discovered playing Fortnite, a game his parents had forbidden him from playing.
After being disciplined and having his cellphone taken away, the 9-year-old allegedly grabbed a Smith & Wesson 9 mm handgun from a nightstand drawer in his parents’ bedroom.
Garcia was able to take the gun from the boy, according to police, but Martinez entered the room and saw the boy in a “agitated” state, prompting him to speak out against his stepfather. Garcia is accused of repeatedly shooting Martinez in the chest and stomach.
Garcia shot Martinez twice more in the back as he retreated, according to police, causing him to collapse. He was taken to a local hospital and died.
Police arrived at the home in the Citrus Landing community around 7:10 p.m. on Wednesday, and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the forensics investigation of what law enforcement described as a “extensive” crime scene.
Garcia has been charged with second-degree murder and unlawfully storing a firearm in a location where a minor could access it. He was being held in Polk County Jail as of Thursday morning.
Davenport is a city in Polk County, approximately 30 miles southwest of Orlando.
Second-degree murder convictions in Florida carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.
