David Morse was 48 and lived in Sarasota, Florida. On May 16, 2016, he was walking along 47th Street and was struck by a bullet, found dead outside his home; an autopsy confirmed a fatal gunshot wound and the death was classified as a homicide. Detectives determined the deadly bullet originated from a residence at 4632 N. Shade Avenue, where someone had been firing a .22 caliber weapon toward a wooden fence in the rear yard.

Several bullets were recovered at multiple locations, and investigators seized two .22 caliber guns from that Shade Avenue home, one purchased the day of the shooting. FDLE’s initial ballistics testing indicated the bullet that killed Morse was from a .22 caliber firearm but could not definitively match it to a seized weapon because of the bullet’s condition. Detectives believe Morse was likely hit by a stray round rather than being intentionally targeted; no person has been identified as the shooter.

If anyone saw activity on Shade Avenue or around 47th Street that afternoon or has other information, please share what you know.