MERRITT ISLAND, Fla – A shooting in Brevard County left a man dead after a “domestic dispute between the victim and his wife” on Saturday morning, according to a news release.
Deputies said they responded to a residence on Walter Court in Merritt Island around 10:20 a.m. in reference to a man who was shot.
According to the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, deputies located a man, identified as 47-year-old Steven Rubino, suffering from a gunshot wound at the home. The man was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Deputies said a preliminary investigation revealed the shooting happened during a domestic dispute between the man and his wife.
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Dispatch recordings show the man was able to call 911 after being shot and before he died.
“RP [reporting person] advised his wife shot him,” a dispatcher could be heard. “He was shot in the stomach. RP’s not wanting to answer any other questions.”
A first responder then reported over the radio that the wife said she shot her husband in self-defense. A neighbor close to the wife said she believes her.
“It was self-defense, I’m sure,” Gail Blevins said. “It had to be, because she’s not like that.”
Blevins also said she’s shocked, though, because the couple previously told her they were happy.
“He said it was a wonderful relationship,” the neighbor said. “She did too.”
The investigation is ongoing as deputies are still going through the process of collecting evidence to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident, according to the release.
No arrests have been made and deputies said they are not releasing the name of the woman at this time.
Anyone who may have information about this investigation is asked to please call Agent Bruce Connors of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit at 321-633-8413 or CRIMELINE at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477).
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