A tragic incident occurred in Florida where a man was shot and killed by his stepfather during an argument over the video game Fortnite. The incident took place on May 21, involving 26-year-old Azareel J. Martinez and his 43-year-old stepfather, Kelly Agar Garcia.
Authorities from the Davenport Police Department responded to a domestic dispute at around 7:10 p.m. at a home on Citrus Landing Boulevard. The household included Garcia, his wife, Adriane Daza, and her two children, aged 9 and 11, alongside Martinez.
The argument began when the 9-year-old was caught playing Fortnite on his mother’s phone despite being told he couldn’t. When his mother took the phone away, the upset child retrieved a handgun from her nightstand. Although Daza struggled to get the weapon back from her child, Garcia was ultimately able to intervene.
During the altercation, Martinez attempted to defend his younger sibling but ended up having a heated exchange with Garcia. Reports indicate that Garcia shot Martinez multiple times in the chest and abdomen, and then again in the back as Martinez was leaving the room. He was rushed to a local hospital but sadly succumbed to his injuries.
Police Chief Steve Parker expressed concern about the availability of the firearm in the home, stating that if the child hadn’t known where it was, the shooting likely wouldn’t have happened. Garcia is currently in custody at the Polk County Jail, facing charges of second-degree murder and unlawful storage of a firearm.
Authorities had previously visited the family’s home in 2022, but details about that visit were not disclosed. The community is left shaken by this tragic event, highlighting the importance of gun safety, especially in households with children.
