ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando police as of sunrise Sunday were investigating two separate shootings, one of them reportedly involving a College Park resident who was shot after two men approached him in his driveway to demand his vehicle and his belongings.
Officers responded at 2:43 a.m. to the first shooting, reported out of the 1 block of East Colonial Drive. One person was hospitalized in the shooting, but their condition had not been shared at the time of this report. Police said that the shooting was isolated and posed no danger to the public.
Next, officers responded at 5:45 a.m. to a shooting reported in College Park out of the 200 block of North Ivanhoe Boulevard, initially stating that it was also isolated and similarly posed no danger to the public. The victim in this case was leaving his residence when two men — described by police as transients — allegedly approached him and demanded his vehicle and belongings at gunpoint. The victim was shot by one of the suspects while he attempted to go back into his house, police said.
The victim was found shot in the forearm and the abdomen and taken to the hospital.
Police arrested both of the suspects, identifying them Sunday afternoon as Kenny Mason, 24, and James Houston, 25, pictured at the top of this story. Both face charges including burglary, robbery, aggravated battery and attempted murder, the department said in a statement. It’s believed Houston was the shooter, according to Orlando police.
Investigators believe Mason and Houston were in the area attempting multiple vehicle burglaries when they were able to take a firearm from an unlocked car, believed to be the gun that was used to shoot the victim.
In an arrest report, police say Houston admitted that he and Mason burglarized 10 vehicles.
News 6 went to the scene, where investigators, patrol vehicles and yellow tape could be seen at the house as an SUV sat in the driveway with its liftgate open.
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