One dead after shooting on Northside Drive

An argument between two young men near a recently constructed county soccer field led to a shooting in Lake Wales on Tuesday evening that left one person dead.

The incident occurred outside city limits near a county-owned sports park on W. Northside Drive, about 200 feet north of Washington Avenue.

According to a teenage witness, two men argued after a football practice on Monday and again before the shooting. He reported hearing one man say, “You don’t want me,” before three shots were fired. After a brief pause, four more shots were heard.

Residents in the area reportedly saw the victim’s body lying on the ground. A lone deputy arrived at the scene approximately ten minutes after the shooting.

The man in custody is reportedly known to local residents only as “Bernard.” Police have not yet released his identity. The name of the victim, reportedly a popular young man, is known to Lake Wales News, but we are withholding that information until next of kin are notified.

Howard Davis

Polk police officers rushed to the scene of Tuesday night’s shooting and arrested an unnamed suspect in connection with the shooting of a local resident. The deadly confrontation followed a dispute between two young men at a local soccer practice field.

The large crowd that had gathered at the scene was subdued but eager to hear details of the incident.

The county’s new football facility was built by Polk County Parks and Recreation with Community Development Block Grant funds.