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72-year-old arrested for shooting Walmart delivery drone

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Walmart drone delivery Florida shooting arrest

Image for illustration purposes only

In a bizarre turn of events, a 72-year-old man was arrested in Clermont, Florida, after allegedly shooting at a Walmart delivery drone. “A bullet hole was discovered in the drone’s cargo,” police said.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said it received a complaint on June 26 that a Walmart delivery drone had been shot at. Apparently, a two-person Walmart crew was active in the area, conducting mock deliveries to attract public interest. While waiting for the delivery drone to land, the crew heard a loud noise consistent with a firearm. Further investigation revealed a bullet hole in the drone’s payload system, which can cost up to $2,500 to repair.

Witnesses identified the shooter as Dennis Winn and led officers to his residence. Police then conducted a Miranda interview with Winn, in which he admitted to shooting the drone once with a 9mm handgun as it flew over his home. Winn reportedly said he had experience with drones flying over his home and believed they were watching him.

Winn was arrested and charged with:

  • Shooting at an aircraft (a second degree felony)
  • Criminal damage to property exceeding $1,000 (third degree felony)
  • Discharge of a firearm in public or on residential property (misdemeanor)

Walmart has been testing drone deliveries since 2021 and has safely completed over 30,000 drone deliveries to date. Recently, the retail giant integrated the drone delivery option directly into its shopping app.

This incident occurred shortly after a 60-year-old man was arrested in New York for allegedly shooting down a neighbor’s drone with a shotgun.

It is worth reiterating that while the regulations for flying a drone over private property vary from state to state, federal law makes it illegal to shoot down a drone, even if it is trespassing. The reason for this is that shooting down a drone poses a serious risk of injury.

So if you find that a drone is not following the rules set by the Federal Aviation Administration, you can contact your local FAA Flight Standards District Office instead. FAA investigators may be able to investigate your report and contact the drone operator. Unauthorized drone operators can be subject to penalties and criminal charges.

Read more: The Secret of DJI’s Dominance in the Drone Market: Revealed

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