A Fruitland Park man with a half-dozen felony convictions was arrested Thursday in connection with a September shooting incident at a Leesburg sports complex.
William Darryl Anthony Dennard, 28, of 706 Mulberry St., was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and possession of a weapon or ammunition by a convicted Florida felon.
The incident happened the afternoon of Sept. 21 at the Susan Street Sports Complex, 940 Susan St. The victim told a Lake County sheriff’s deputy he was riding his scooter at the park when a black male named Tony walked out of the Birchwood community with another unidentified male and started shooting at him from the tennis court with a 9mm handgun, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The victim said he ran and hid behind a tree and Tony – later identified as Dennard – continued to fire eight to 10 shots in his direction. The victim said the other male was holding a shotgun but did not shoot at him. He said Dennard ran back into the Birchwood community after he was done firing shots, the report said.
With the deputy present, the victim called Dennard and asked him why he shot at him. Dennard replied, “My bad, I’ve been on that high (expletive deleted), man.” The victim said Dennard had stolen his bicycle in the past and that is how he knew his identity. The victim was not harmed during the incident, according to the report.
Two gold 9mm shell casings were recovered on the west side of the tennis court. A criminal history check showed Dennard has six previous felony convictions. A warrant was issued for his arrest, the report said.
Dennard, who was also charged with a probation violation, is being held in the Lake County Jail on $7,000 bond. He’s due to appear in Lake County Court on Oct. 31.
