Neighborhood shootout, unrelated pursuit cause chaos in Seminole County

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – While Seminole County law enforcement agencies were responding to a shooting between two people in an East Altamonte Springs neighborhood late Tuesday morning, an unrelated deputy pursuit ended with another suspect in custody and two at large.

According to the Seminole County Sheriff's Office, 911 callers reported multiple shots fired from multiple firearms at South Jackson and Merritt streets just after 10 a.m.

Sheriff's Office public information officer Bob Kealing said that deputies found a man who had been shot and crashed a white car along U.S. Highway 17-92 north of Maitland Boulevard.

Deputies said two people, both concealed carry permit holders, were the only two people involved in the shooting. The person in the crash was taken to an area hospital and is in critical condition.

The second person involved obtained a lawyer and contacted the Sheriff's Office and will be interviewed by detectives later on Tuesday.

"This was not a random act," Sheriff Dennis Lemma said, adding both shooters know each other.

While deputies were responding to the shooting scene on South Jackson and Merritt streets, they encountered a car with three people inside leaving the area "driving aggressively," and deputies thought it may have been involved in the shooting.

Deputies attempted to block the car in, but the driver maneuvered around deputies and fled south on 17-92.

Deputies followed and the car became stuck on the median near Candace Drive. All three people in the car bailed out from the car, one was arrested, two are still at large, Lemma said. 

Drugs were found inside the car and those involved will face charges unrelated to the shooting, Lemma said.

At this point, Lemma said investigators do not believe the two incidents are related, but added that the situation is very active and new information is constantly coming in.

The sheriff stopped short of calling the person who was shot and crashed a victim.

"The real victims in this case are people who live in this neighborhood," Lemma said, adding they are law-abiding citizens who should not have a shooting in their neighborhood in broad daylight.

Lemma asked anyone who was near either scene to called the Sheriff's Office with information or anonymously report what they know to Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477).

Casselberry and Altamonte Springs police were also at the shooting scene.

Check back for updates on this developing story.