Florida Nutjob Shoots His Neighbor For Trimming a Tree

A Florida man fatally shot a neighbor who was trimming trees along a property line the two men shared, police said. Edward Druzolowski, 78, was arrested Sunday after he allegedly fired a single fatal shot at his neighbor, 48-year-old Brian Ford, who was outside trimming trees along their property line in DeLeon Springs.

The Volusia County sheriff’s office said that Druzolowski confronted Ford about being on his property before the fatal shooting.  “Druzolowski told detectives he threatened to shoot Ford, and when Ford didn’t leave, he shot him,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. Ford was pronounced dead at the scene.

It was the latest in a long line of shootings this year by angry homeowners who have opened fire on people who accidentally crossed over their property line. In Florida alone, police have responded to multiple reports of threats and shootings by homeowners.

In June, a Florida man fired 30 rounds at his pool cleaner after he mistook the cleaner for an intruder. The shooter wasn’t charged thanks to Florida’s “stand your ground” law, which allows homeowners to fire on someone they believe to be a threat.

A 78-year-old with osteoporosis, Druzolowski told detectives he brought the gun for protection because he feared what being shoved to the ground would do to his body. Druzolowski’s wife told detectives her husband only meant to “scare” Ford. Druzolowski has been charged with second-degree murder and is being held without bond.

National experts said some owners of firearms in the United States, with its prevalent gun culture, struggle to make split-second decisions that don’t end in death because the shooters are riddled with fear or paranoia, or lack understanding of their legal protections. Many Americans are afraid of each other, and fear mixed with guns can often lead to needless death, they say.

Florida, the nation’s third-most populated state, has earned the nickname “Gunshine State” — state data shows there is one gun permit for every eight Floridians. Legislators approved a bill in March allowing people to carry concealed firearms without a permit or proof of training, often dubbed “constitutional carry.”