LAKE WALES, Fla. – Two men have been arrested in connection with a shooting that wounded four people during a large party at the Lake Wales Mud Hole, where investigators say between 150 and 300 people had gathered.
Richard William Fante, 20, of Lakeland, and Cordae DeShawn Hammonds, 19, of Avon Park, were arrested Thursday, Oct. 1, following an investigation in which Polk County Sheriff’s Office detectives identified and interviewed more than 100 people.
Both men face four counts of attempted second-degree murder and 62 counts of culpable negligence, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The shooting happened shortly after midnight Sept. 27 at a property on Alturas Babson Park Cut-Off Road, west of U.S. 27.
The gathering had been promoted on social media as a party offering “good vibes, good people, and no drama,” according to investigators.
Deputies were called at about 12:18 a.m. following reports that multiple people had been shot.
An 18-year-old Lakeland woman was still at the property when deputies arrived. She had been shot in the abdomen and was taken by ambulance to a hospital. The Sheriff’s Office said she remains in stable condition.
Three other shooting victims had already been driven to hospitals by friends before deputies reached the scene.
A 20-year-old Lake Wales woman suffered a gunshot wound to her right thigh, a 19-year-old Lakeland man was shot in the left arm and a 21-year-old Eagle Lake woman was shot in the left foot.
Investigators initially interviewed witnesses who remained at the party. Over the following days, detectives worked to identify and locate additional people who had been there.
The Sheriff’s Office said information gathered through those interviews eventually led detectives to identify Fante and Hammonds as suspects. Both were taken into custody Oct. 1 and booked at the Sheriff’s Processing Center.
Authorities have not released details about what they believe led to the shooting, whether Fante and Hammonds are each accused of firing a weapon or what evidence specifically connected each man to the gunfire.
The Sheriff’s Office said additional arrests are possible as the investigation continues.