UPDATE (12:32 p.m.): A press release from the Sanford Police Department indicates that in addition to McLean being killed, six people total were wounded.
“The … incident was a result of a fight that occurred at a birthday party being held at the Sanford Latin Dance Studio,” the release reads. “At approximately 2:15 a.m. (Sunday) the party goers made their way to the streets where the fight broke out. Unknown suspect(s) then opened fire striking the … victims.”
Police listed Malika Harris, 25, Savon Rollins, 24, Joseph Roscoe, 24, Travis McLaughlin, 30, Tasha McDonald, 41, and Dominique Williams, 20, as the injured parties. There was no information about any suspects in the release.
Other city sources tell the Rant that the party was what’s known as a “bootleg” party in which alcohol is sold in a temporarily rented space. According to these sources, police described potential witnesses as uncooperative and even towed multiple vehicles for processing as part of the crime scene.
ORIGINAL STORY: A man died and several others were injured in a shootout at the Sanford Latin Dance studio either late Saturday night or early Sunday morning, the Rant has learned.
Sources told the Rant that the dance studio, above the Lee County Republican Party Headquarters at Carthage and Steele streets, had been rented for a private party which was under way when the shooting began.
Social media reports identified Travis McLean as the person killed.
Readers of the Rant may remember McLean as having been accused in and subsequently cleared of the 2013 murder of Anthony Giles.
As of Sunday morning, a Gofundme campaign had been established with a goal of $2,000 to cover his funeral expenses.
The Rant will update this post with more details as they become available.
What exactly does his prior charges, in which he was cleared of, have to do with his death? That’s pointless and extremely heartless. Anything for your “readers” huh?
Exactly my thought.
I agree. It’s truly disgusting that you felt the need to discredit this man’s life with a crime that he was found NOT GUILTY of when his life has been taken away TODAY. You should already know how that looks but I’ll still say it, blatantly racist. His family deserves an apology for the way you just tried to disgrace him and the fact that you probably released his name before all of his family could find out what happened. Plus the fact you had the audacity reference “social media reports” as your reliable source. But, nonetheless, it might be too much work for you to speak to them the way you spoke to your readers while misrepresenting his life… This writer needs a lesson common decency. Sorry not sorry.
A shooting right above GOP headquarters? If they really believe the crap they were peddling about safety at the WB Wicker school site, then they will begin the process of relocating their headquarters, immediately.