A woman who fatally shot a man during a confrontation over a Walmart parking spot will not be charged based on Florida’s “stand your ground” law.
Melissa Payne got into a “brief stalemate” with Bart Diguglielmo, 62, after attempting to park in the same spot June 30 in North Lauderdale, which is about 10 miles north of Fort Lauderdale. The interaction was captured on several videos.
The facts surrounding the June 30, 2026, homicide of Bart DiGuglielmo are as tragic as they are absurd," Broward State Attorney's Office Homicide Trial Unit Division Chief Stephen Zaccor wrote in a memo."There is relatively no dispute about what actually happened because the entire incident was captured by various video recording devices."
What happened when a fight over a Florida Walmart parking spot turned deadly?
DiGuglielmo "inexplicably abandoned
his car in the through lane of travel" and went into the store, before returning to his vehicle,according to the statement from the Broward State Attorney’s Office.
Witnesses reported hearing DiGuglielmo say he was going to "mess her car up" and "---- her s--- up," before driving off at a high rate of speed, parking and walking toward Payne's vehicle, according to the report. Payne exited her vehicle holding a phone in her left hand and a firearm in her right and said, "If you keep coming up to me, I'm going to ------- shoot you!"
“Dspite those warnings," DiGuglielmo continued to approach, and video showed him "aggressively approach" Payne, according to the report. DiGuglielmo "continued his pursuit" as Payne backed away. At one point, he turned back, but then approached Payne, which is when she fired her gun, striking DiGuglielmo, who died from his injuries.
What happened to the woman who fatally shot man over Florida Walmart parking spot?
Payne was taken into custody following the shooting.
Her "recitation of the facts was consistent with the various sources of video evidence," authorities stated. She claimed self-defense and was released from custody.
Payne "had the right to stand her ground if she was in reasonable fear of death or great bodily harm,” Zaccor wrote. He went on and stated that because Florida is a stand-your-ground state, Payne "did not have to wait to be attacked before resorting to deadly force. She did not have to retreat as long as her fear was reasonable and no evidence has been presented to disprove that."
Michelle Spitzer is a journalist for The USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA. As the network’s Rapid Response reporter, she covers Florida’s breaking news. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida woman won't be charged for fatal shooting over parking spot
