Orange County

19-year-old found shot dead on West Orange Trail

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County deputies are investigating after a 19-year-old man was found shot dead on a popular trail Monday afternoon.

Deputies said Ahmad Davis was found dead from a gunshot wound on the West Orange Trail near Old Apopka Road around 12:50 p.m.

It is the fourth shooting since Sunday morning, and the second fatal one, in Orange County that officials are investigating.

Davis’ body was found near the trail, in the grassy area between the trail and Old Apopka Road.

Deputies are offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information about the case.

Bikers on the trail on Tuesday said they were unsettled to hear what had happened nearby the day before.

“Frankly my little voice is saying perhaps head back to the car and maybe start at a different part of the trail,” cyclist Jeanne Starling said.

The case has residents worried, as it has an eerie resemblance to 13 months ago, when 46-year-old Colis Fogle’s burned body was found right off the West Orange Trail.

The body found Monday was discovered at 12:45 p.m., the same time as Fogle’s was last year, and just a four-minute walk between the two.

Crime scene technicians worked for about five hours Monday to find, process and recreate every piece of potential evidence at the scene.

Neighbors said they came home to see crime scene tape blocking their street. One man said the street has seen far more tragedy than they’re used to. A month ago, a family lost their home when it burned down.

It’s the fourth shooting within two days that police are investigating.

Here’s a chronological look at the other shootings reported:

Around 5 a.m. Sunday, police found 31-year-old Kelvin Gaines in the middle of Kirkland Boulevard at Patterson Avenue with a gunshot wound to his chest, police said. Gaines was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

Gaines’ criminal past dates back to 2006 with several traffic violations. In May of this year, he was charged with aggravated assault. In July, he was charged with burglary, and last month, he was charged with battery on a law-enforcement officer.

Orlando police declined to speculate if Gaines’ criminal history had anything to do with the shooting.

Around 12:30 a.m. Monday morning, deputies responded to a shooting victim along Whippoorwill Drive. Two victims transported themselves to a nearby hospital, one with a gunshot wound, according to police.

After 1 a.m. Monday, deputies responded to a shots fired call in an apartment complex along River Reach Drive. Before they arrived on scene, two victims transported themselves to a nearby hospital, both with gunshot wounds.

Investigators are still looking for suspects in all cases.



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