What was supposed to be a night of soccer and fun turned into a night of chaos at Donna Fiala Eagle Lakes Community Park.
On April 18, around 7:30 p.m., shots rang out from the basketball court just feet from the soccer field where Melissa Henderson’s 8-year-old son was playing.
“It took away innocence from our children. It was terrifying. It was something that you never really can imagine what it will be like until you go through it,” Henderson said.
She was there with her husband and son, along with dozens of other families. The scariest moment for her was not being able to immediately reach her son.
“So our son was actually talking to some friends a few feet away from us. So I couldn't grab him right away [...] I was screaming for my husband to get our child, and I was screaming to the Lord to take care of us,” she said. "I mean, people were leaving their personal belongings behind and just grabbing their kids out of their strollers and throwing them in cars, and going, it was a very scary evening for us."
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office says witnesses saw someone in a white pickup truck with tinted windows fire two shots before driving away.
No one was hurt, but the shooting left families shaken. Now, Henderson and other parents are calling for more law enforcement presence at the park — especially on Friday nights, when there are soccer games.
“I would really love for the Parks and Recreation department to get a better understanding of the large gatherings that are happening in their facility on a regular basis or on a one-time basis, even. And I would like them patrolled better. We live in a community where we have good resources, and they should be utilized,” she said.
If not, Henderson says she and other moms are considering hiring private security themselves.
Deputies have not made any arrests and say the investigation is ongoing.
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