socastcmsRssStartPaul DolansocastcmsRssEndPORT CHARLOTTE
Gunshots echoed through a Walmart parking lot in Port Charlotte on Saturday, but the scene quickly shifted five miles south into a neighborhood.
Early Sunday morning, WINK News learned that the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office made two arrests related to the incident.
Mary Katherine Moore, a concerned neighbor, expressed her worries.
“Absolutely, it’s concerning. Who wouldn’t be concerned?” said Moore.
Jim Perron, another resident, also shared his apprehension.
“There was a tremendous amount of police out there, and it was kind of with guns drawn and stuff like that. So it’s pretty scary,” said Perron.
The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office is still searching for 20-year-old Anthony Mojica, who is suspected of being the gunman.
Deputies reported that Mojica fired six shots in the Walmart parking lot on Murdock Circle in Port Charlotte.
Moore described how the chaotic scene unfolded in her neighborhood.
“The policeman came around. He said, ‘Get back in your house. You’ve got a guy holding up in the house with a shotgun. Get in your house,’” she said.
RELATED: Charlotte County deputies investigate shooting; no injuries reported
Despite the situation, Moore feels safe at home.
“I doubt he comes back here, so I feel like we’re pretty safe. He’d be pretty stupid to come back here,” she added.
The neighborhood is shrouded in mystery, with little known about the home where deputies arrested a 16-year-old suspected of involvement in the shooting.
“We’ve seen a lot of activity at that house. We can’t tell who lives there. There are always lots of different cars, lots of different people coming in and out, so we don’t know,” said Moore.
The sheriff’s office also arrested 20-year-old Amy Leiva, who authorities say was involved in the shooting and is Mojica’s girlfriend.
Perron believes Mojica’s arrest is imminent.
“I would think he’s on the run, and they’ll get him pretty quickly. Charlotte County’s got a pretty strong police force,” said Perron.
Residents in Port Charlotte hope for more peaceful and quiet days ahead.
Authorities have urged anyone with information about Mojica’s whereabouts to contact the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office at (941) 639-2101.
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