ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – A 17-year-old drug dealer shot a man who gave him a fake $100 bill while purchasing marijuana, according to the Altamonte Springs Police Department.
Police said Julio Aguirre met outside a tattoo shop on State Road 436 with two men who contacted him through Snapchat asking to buy marijuana from him on Nov. 2. During the drug deal, one of the men handed over a fake $100 bill, so Aguirre fired his gun, striking the man in the back, according to the affidavit.
The man who was shot suffered a non-life-threatening injury.
Records show the victims initially lied to investigators, saying that they sold Aguirre a pair of knockoff shoes and Aguirre became angry and shot at them as they were driving away.
Police said evidence from the scene contradicted the victims’ story, prompting the two men to tell the truth about the drug deal. They said they bought the fake currency at a Spencer’s gift store and thought they could get away with using it to buy 10 grams of marijuana, according to authorities.
Aguirre told police that he shot the man in self-defense because the man was standing over his vehicle in a threatening manner while Aguirre was seated in the driver’s seat, the affidavit said.
Evidence at the scene proved that wasn’t the case because the victim was shot in the back, according to the report.
Records show Aguirre said he knew the money was fake but he denied that was the cause of the shooting.
He’s being held at the Seminole County Jail without bond on charges related the shooting.