UPDATE 8:20pm Sunday, December 15
4 hours later, FOX 4 continues to wait for the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office to refute or verify online reports of what played out at two different scenes in the county, including a gas station across from the Sunseeker resort, and along a stretch of Kings Highway off I-75.
Though FOX 4 has heard reports of possibly several shootings and other details, the sheriff's office only commented via its app that it was, "with the help of surrounding agencies...working 2 active scenes."
In the meantime, U.S. Congressman Greg Steube commented on X, formerly Twitter, alluding to the possibility that this critical incident included an officer-involved shooting, and that his prayers were with those involved, indicating that the outcome of tonight's incident could be grave.
My office is closely monitoring the reports of multiple shootings, including a potential officer-involved shooting in Charlotte County near the Sunseeker this evening.
— Congressman Greg Steube (@RepGregSteube) December 16, 2024
Please avoid the area to allow Charlotte County Sheriffs Office and Punta Gorda Police investigate.
My…
UPDATE 7:15pm Sunday, December 15
The northbound lanes of the US-41 Bridge to Port Charlotte have been reopened by law enforcement. However, as the sun set, deputies continued to work the scene at the gas station, gathering evidence to determine what occurred.
FOX 4's Senior Reporter Kaitlin Knapp does anticipate Sheriff Prummell will speak at some point about what happened at these two scenes. There are several reports of a shooting online, and we're working to verify whether those reports are accurate. We'll update you here and across our social media platforms when we learn more.
Original Reporting:
Law enforcement swarmed a gas station across the street from the Sunseeker resort Sunday night and shut down multiple area roads in response to an urgent and active investigation.
The activity also shut down the US-41 bridge northbound into Port Charlotte. Punta Gorda police posted the following on Facebook:
Charlotte County's FOX 4 Community Correspondent Alex Orenczuk was already on scene because he lives in the same areas he covers every day. There were reports of a shooting but FOX 4 has not yet been able to confirm those claims with the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff Bill Prummell was also on the scene at the gas station and Orenczuk was working to speak with him.
FOX 4 is also hearing reports of a second scene along Kings Highway, and that the two scenes could be connected. A sign observed by Senior Reporter Kaitlin Knapp along I-75 advised Kings Highway was closed.
Kaitlin and Alex are both working this story and will have much more here on fox4now.com. Be sure to activate your push notifications on the FOX 4 app on your cell phone to receive updates.
