A man was shot and killed late Thursday night at The Carlton of Fort Myers apartment complex.
The deadly encounter unfolded around 11:39 p.m. on the second floor of Building 4, just steps from residents’ front doors. Fort Myers police say the man, who lived in the complex, attempted to force his way into an apartment that was not his own. He was shot and killed by someone inside.
The shooting has left lasting trauma for neighbors like Robert Burr’s daughter, who lives in the apartment next door to where the incident occurred.
"She is still a little shaken up and she is kind of scared to stay right now, but I'm sure that she's going to get there. She just needs time. You know, everything heals in time," Burr said in an interview.
Burr recounted that his daughter was home when she heard loud banging at the apartment next door.
“She got scared,” he said. “She wasn’t about to open her door.”
Moments later, the intruder was shot. Police say he was armed when he tried to break in. The tenant inside the apartment opened fire, hitting the man in the chest.
"It could have went through her door and hit her and she'd be dead," Burr said, visibly emotional.
Residents are now calling on management to revisit safety policies. Burr said The Carlton currently bans security devices like Ring doorbell cameras — something he believes could have prevented the tragedy.
“I think that if they would just allow that, it would definitely help out a lot and make her feel safe again — make me feel safe knowing she has it,” Burr said. “Maybe it would have possibly even avoided the whole incident.”
"I wish they would make more parking places, there are not enough, after work at night I have to park far away and walk in the dark, I don't feel safe," said Julia Mac.
According to police, four people live in the apartment where the shooting occurred — three women and one man. None of them knew the intruder.
Investigators say the intruder had a similar apartment number as the unit he was trying to enter.
As of now, no arrests have been made. Fort Myers police said this is an active investigation.
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