The Sanford Police Department is investigating two early morning shootings on Sunday that left one person dead and another seriously injured.
At around 3:20 a.m. on Sunday, June 7, SPD received a 911 call regarding a possible shooting near the intersection of Historic Goldsboro Boulevard and Mangoustine Avenue in Sanford, according to police.
When officers arrived, they found a victim who had sustained a gunshot wound. The victim was transported to a local hospital in serious condition.
Shortly after the first call, an additional 911 caller informed Sanford police that a second shooting had occurred nearby at the intersection of Historic Goldsboro Boulevard and Pomegranate Avenue.
Upon arrival at the second location, officers found a deceased male victim — identified as 32-year-old Deon Fields — who had been shot.
During the initial investigation, Sanford police located an armed person of interest in the area. That individual was taken into custody and is currently being treated at a local hospital for mental health concerns, according to SPD.
In a press release, Sanford police stated that it is unknown if both shootings are related to each other. However, investigators believe this was an isolated incident and stated that there is no immediate danger to the public.
Sanford Police Chief Cecil Smith released the following statement regarding Sunday’s events:
“Our investigators are still working diligently to understand what happened to cause one young man to lose his life and send another to the hospital. We need our community to stand together with us and say that gun violence, and crimes associated with it will not be tolerated. We believe there were witnesses who saw something. We encourage them to come forward and work with us to take these violent individuals off our streets.”
If anyone has information regarding these two shootings, please contact the Sanford Police Department at 407-688-5070.