The events leading up to Port Charlotte shooting suspect killed by deputies after manhunt

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (WINK)—Charlotte County deputies shot and killed 32-year-old Matthew Cross after he allegedly killed another person and threatened law enforcement.

Investigators have not released the identity of the person Cross allegedly shot and killed or what led to the violence. The shooting happened on Malone Avenue.

Cross fled the scene after the shooting. His actions triggered a manhunt involving several agencies.

Less than an hour after the shooting, a man flagged down deputies on bike patrol near Hillsborough and Yorkshire. The man said someone with a gun threatened him in the woods.

Sheriff Bill Prummell said when deputies confronted Cross, he put a gun to his head. Cross then turned the gun toward law enforcement, and officers opened fire, killing him.

North Port Police said the officers involved in the shooting have been placed on leave.

"You just, you just don't expect this," neighbor Michael Zezul said.

Cross's parents spoke with WINK News reporter Damien Alvarado by phone. They said they are grieving and that Cross had been struggling with mental health issues and addiction. They also said they had been trying to get in touch with him before the incident.

Neighbors said they still can't believe it happened in their area.

"You can't have perfection, and, and, and you don't know, uh, or I guess nobody knows what makes somebody go off as that," neighbor Jack Bart said. "That's not normal."

The investigation remains active, with caution tape and deputies still in the area.