LEESBURG, Fla. – A Leesburg man was found guilty in a 2024 shooting at a gas station that left an 87-year-old man dead, according to a news release from the Fifth Judicial Circuit of Florida.
Kenneth Bailey, 22, one of two suspects arrested, was sentenced to 45 years in the Florida Department of Corrections, the release said.
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The victim, Clarence Ervin, was shot at a Leesburg gas station off West Main Street in September 2024. Surveillance footage from the incident showed Ervin sitting in his vehicle at the gas pump when three suspects approached him, according to police.
Two of the suspects were on the passenger’s side of the victim’s car and the other, identified as Bailey, was on the driver’s side, police said. Bailey and the victim began to argue, before he pulled out a firearm and shot the victim, according to officers.
The Leesburg Police Department responded to the scene where Ervin sustained gunshot wounds. He was taken to the hospital where he later died, the news release stated.
Witnesses told the police the suspects fled after the shooting, and were able to provide detailed descriptions of each of the three, the release said.
After issuing a public bulletin asking for help identifying the three suspects, officials received information which led to the arrest of Bailey and Craig Stevenson, 22, who were two of the three suspects seen in surveillance video, officers said.
Detectives identified the third suspect through further investigation, which remains ongoing, the release said.
“Despite his young age, this defendant made the choice that led to the tragic and senseless loss of an innocent life. This conviction and substantial sentence underscore the seriousness of his actions and provide justice for the victim’s family and friends,” Chief Assistant State Attorney Walter Forgie said in a statement.