Port Richey saw a fatal shooting on January 1, 2026, when 30-year-old Izeal Peterson was shot in the parking lot of the Embassy Plaza after an argument escalated into gunfire. The other person involved, 28-year-old Hakeem Hayes, was also shot and survived after being treated at a local hospital; Peterson was transported but pronounced dead.

The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office opened an investigation and in the initial days said it was examining claims of possible self-defense. As of early January 2026 no charges had been filed against Hayes and no further public updates about arrests or the investigation’s outcome have been released.

Anyone who witnessed the shooting or has information about the events in the Embassy Plaza parking lot that night is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office.