On May 20, 2025, Joshua Graham, 37, was shot and killed in the parking lot of the Fast Stop convenience store on East Memorial Boulevard in Lakeland. According to witnesses and investigators, a near-collision just after 6 p.m. involved Graham and an 18-year-old woman in a separate car; words were exchanged and the situation escalated when 19-year-old Cornelius Gilmore Jr. intervened. During a physical confrontation between Graham and Gilmore, Gilmore drew a handgun. The first shot missed Graham and struck the young woman in the leg; a second shot struck Graham in the head. Officers arrived within minutes and pronounced Graham dead at the scene; the wounded teenager was taken to Lakeland Regional Health for treatment.

Police established the timeline from calls starting at 6:08 p.m., cordoned off the lot, and said the parties did not know one another. Gilmore was taken into custody and charged with second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, and carrying a concealed firearm. Family members described Graham as a father of four. Anyone who witnessed the incident or has footage from the area is asked to come forward.