A 21-year-old man was recently found guilty of several charges, including first-degree murder and attempted murder, in connection with a shooting at an Osceola County home that left a man dead and a woman injured in 2022.
On Monday, August 26, 2024, an Osceola County jury found Safari Rodriguez guilty of first-degree murder with special findings, attempted first-degree murder with special findings, aggravated battery with special findings, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after he shot two people at a local residence in June of 2022.
According to court records, on June 3, 2022, Rodriguez was armed with a rifle when he approached a man, identified as Alejandro Guzman, who was sitting in a vehicle in the driveway.
While Guzman was inside the vehicle, Rodriguez shot and killed him. A woman who was inside the home heard the gunshots, and she stepped outside and attempted to convince Rodriguez to drop the rifle.
Rodriguez proceeded to shoot at the woman, striking her in the head. She managed to run inside the home, and she hid in a bathroom with several other people who were in the residence.
A man who was standing outside the home saw Rodriguez shoot the female victim. Rodriguez then turned toward him and fired several shots, which missed. The witness managed to run away.
Rodriguez entered the home and attempted to break into the bathroom where the female victim and other occupants were hiding. The attempt was unsuccessful, and Rodriguez left the home before pointing his rifle at another man who was nearby.
Less than a month after the shooting, on June 29, 2022, Osceola County Sheriff’s Office detectives discovered that Rodriguez had fled to Bay County with family members. He was located and placed under arrest.
When the case went to trial, three victims and several witnesses testified against Rodriguez. Prosecutors also used surveillance video footage, which captured Rodriguez’s movements before and after the shootings.
During the five-day trial, jurors ultimately found Rodriguez guilty of the murder, attempted murder, aggravated battery, and aggravated assault charges.
A sentencing date for Rodriguez has not been scheduled yet. He is facing a minimum mandatory sentence of 25 years, up to life, in prison.