Army veteran shot dead over Walmart parking dispute; shooter cleared under Stand Your Ground

Bart DiGuglielmo, 62, was fatally shot outside a Florida Walmart after a parking row escalated. Prosecutors ruled shooter Melissa Payne immune under Stand Your Ground law.

Florida woman avoids charges after shooting Army veteran dead in Walmart car park row

A Florida woman will face no criminal charges for fatally shooting a US Army veteran outside a North Lauderdale Walmart following a dispute over a parking space, military.com reports. Prosecutors at the Broward State Attorney's Office ruled on 3 September that shooter Melissa Payne is immune from prosecution under Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law.

The victim, Bart DiGuglielmo, 62, of Lauderhill, was a former Army veteran who subsequently spent approximately 30 years working as an emergency-room trauma nurse. His daughter, Amanda DiGuglielmo, described him as a devoted family man, a father of three, and a twin brother.

The confrontation began around 12:30 p.m. on 30 June when Payne and DiGuglielmo simultaneously attempted to claim the same parking space. Payne was in her car with her niece and the niece's infant daughter; DiGuglielmo was alone. The incident was captured on multiple recording devices, including mobile phones, a Tesla dashcam, and a deputy's body camera.

After a brief standoff, DiGuglielmo left his SUV blocking a lane of travel and walked toward the store, then returned. Several witnesses reported hearing him threaten to damage Payne's car. He then drove away at speed, parked two aisles over, and walked back toward Payne's vehicle rather than entering the store. Witnesses described him as visibly angry.

Payne exited her car holding a phone in one hand and a firearm in the other, warning DiGuglielmo not to approach. Prosecutors said he backed away momentarily, then turned and advanced again. Payne fired a single shot that struck him in the abdomen. DiGuglielmo was taken to hospital, where he died.

In their memo declining to charge Payne, prosecutors were explicit that the video evidence "does not demonstrate that [Payne] was in the right." However, they concluded the state could not prove by clear and convincing evidence that her fear of great bodily harm was unreasonable — the threshold required by Florida law.

Florida's self-defence statute permits the use of deadly force without a duty to retreat when a person is lawfully present, not engaged in criminal activity, and reasonably believes such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm. A separate provision grants immunity from prosecution where that force is found to be justified. Prosecutors noted that DiGuglielmo's earlier threat to damage Payne's car did not factor into their finding, as Florida law does not permit deadly force solely to protect property from ordinary damage.

Payne remained at the scene after the shooting, cooperated with investigators, and stated she had acted in self-defence. That cooperation led the case to prosecutorial review rather than an immediate arrest.

DiGuglielmo's family disputes the outcome. Melissa Rodriguez, attorney for his daughter, told Local 10 News: "We have maintained that the situation did not warrant stand-your-ground immunity."

Source: The Sun