2 arrested in fatal Lake Wales shooting; shooter is in custody

POLK COUNTY, Fla. — The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Unit is investigating a fatal shooting that occurred Tuesday evening in Lake Wales.

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At around 7:00 p.m. Tuesday night, 21-year-old Vincent Thomas Jr. and at least three others drove to a residence on Northside Drive, according to deputies.

Thomas got out of the car armed with a handgun and confronted a 20-year-old male outside the residence, threatening to shoot him.

The two men went to Lake Wales High School together and had some type of disagreement with each other.

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During the altercation, the resident, who was confronted by Thomas, armed himself with a rifle and shot at Thomas several times, striking him at least twice. The shooter remained at the scene and is cooperating with detectives.

Thomas was driven to Advent Health Lake Wales Hospital by his friends, where he later died due to his injuries.

Two of those friends were arrested by PCSO and charged with tampering with evidence and providing false information to law enforcement during a felony investigation.

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According to deputies, Thomas had prior arrests, including battery on a Law Enforcement Officer, resisting arrest, failure to appear and he was on probation during this incident.

The investigation is ongoing.

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