Cape Coral police have released the name of a man killed in a shooting Sunday in front of the Steak N’ Shake on Pine Island Road East.
Tyson Lee Richardson, 21, of 3906 28th St. S.W., Lehigh Acres, died at the scene following an exchange of gunfire with police officers, according to a prepared statement.
He was a passenger in a white Kia that was suspected to be have been used in a home invasion robbery Saturday night.
Police initiated a traffic stop on the Kia in front of the Steak N’ Shake, ordering the driver out of the vehicle, officials reported. The driver,
Patrick Rhodes Nelson, 19, of 2160 Clubhouse Road, North Fort Myers, did so after a shot was fired from inside the Kia.
Richardson then moved behind the wheel of the Kia and started to speed away, according to the statement.
Additional shots were fired from the Kia toward the police officers, who returned fire. The Kia then crashed into the back of a police cruiser.
Officials reported Richardson exited the Kia after the crash, took a few steps and collapsed to the ground. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Three people in the KIA with Richardson — identified by police as Jarrett Delshun Mundle, 19, of 2729 Colonial Blvd., Apt. 206, Fort Myers; Mike Borrell, 27, of 3463 C St., Apt. 815, Fort Myers; and Nelson — each have been charged with felony murder in the death, along with home invasion robbery and aggravated battery.
According to a report released Sunday, police responded to 911 report of home invasion at 703 N.E. 15th Terrace at 12:52 a.m. The caller said three armed men, wearing ski masks, entered her home. They hit her in the head with a gun, fired the weapon and then fled the residence.
There were five adults and two children in the home at the time of the incident. According to the report, witnesses stated that the men threatened them with guns and took personal items surrendered by one of the witnesses.
Responding to the home invasion call, police stopped a white Kia at 1721 Pine Island Road. According to officials, the shootout with police and vehicle crash followed.
Richardson had two previous home invasion charges, in 2008 and 2009, according to Lee County Sheriff’s Office records.
Following the incident, Borrell and Mundle were transported to the hospital with gunshot wounds or minor injuries, while Nelson was transported to the
Cape Coral Police Station, officials said. Mundle was treated and released, and taken to the police station, reports indicate.
No information was available on Borrell’s condition as of Monday afternoon, according to Pat Dolce, spokeswoman for Lee Memorial Health System.
According to a report, Cape police recovered firearms and masks from the Kia. Police conducted interviews with all three men, and all three confirmed that they had been at the residence on Northeast 15th Terrace.
According to police, Nelson told investigators that he and the others were planning to buy drugs. Mundle told the authorities that the group intended to steal money, marijuana and cocaine.
Neighbors close to the site of the reported home invasion were surprised Sunday afternoon, but not very worried.
Two-year Cape resident Diane Enwright said she heard some commotion in the middle of the night — she could not pinpoint the time, but said it was after midnight — but did not know what was happening.
“I heard some screeching from a woman, then I heard a car take off,” she said. “I was sleeping when it all happened.”
Enwright said she moved to that part of the Cape because of the quiet, and that she did not know anyone who lived at the residence.
“I don’t know my neighbors too well,” she said.
Jessica Larman said she moved to the neighborhood just under a year ago, and that she noticed a lot of traffic moving in and out of the house.
Officials said the officers involved in the shooting have been placed on paid administrative leave as per department policy. Their names had not been released as of Monday afternoon.
The Cape Coral Police Department will conduct an investigation with the assistance of the State Attorney’s Office, according to a prepared statement. This also is standard operating procedure.