An arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department revealed more details about the fatal shooting of a man in Leesburg.
Kameryn Andre Pickard, 18, of Mount Dora was turned in by his father Friday night after fatally shooting 20-year-old Dontae Copeland. Copeland was ultimately pronounced dead at UF Health Leesburg Hospital from his wounds while detectives investigated the scene. A report from the LPD detailed the following events and included an interview with Pickard about what happened.
Officers responded to the shooting at 1024 Tuskegee St., Leesburg, at about 7 p.m. Upon arrival, they found Copeland lying on the ground in front of the residence. He was not breathing and had blood coming out of his nose, the report said.
Lake County EMS began working on him before he was taken to UF Health Leesburg Hospital, located at 600 E Dixie Ave., where he was pronounced dead at 7:25 p.m. At that point, several officers decided to go to the hospital to interview his girlfriend. Before they went, they were told Pickard had been driven to the LPD by his father and turned himself in. They brough the firearm with them and left it in their car, the report said.
In an interview with Pickard, he advised that he and three other possibly juvenile males had gotten into a fight with Copeland earlier that day. He owed Pickard $300 for some marijuana he bought from him beforehand, and he had not paid for it yet, the report said.
The night before, Pickard had left his car at the 7-Eleven on south U.S. Hwy. 27 because he had a flat tire. After the fight with Copeland, he went back to the gas station with his father to change the tire. His dad left, and he was on his way to Fruitland Park to see his uncle when he decided to go “rolling through” Leesburg, the report said.
When asked what he meant by that, Pickard stated, “No reason, just riding through.” He drove through Carver Heights down Tuskegee Street, which happened to be where Copeland was. Copeland and his girlfriend flagged him down, and he backed his car into her driveway, the report said.
Pickard then got out of the car and started talking to Copeland’s girlfriend. He spoke to her instead of Copeland because he was getting angry with him for not bringing the other three individuals that had fought with Copeland back to him. He got angrier and more aggressive with Pickard for not bringing the other combatants, the report said.
Copeland was at the back door of Pickard’s car and started to come closer to him. He was standing in the driver’s doorway and felt like Copeland was getting progressively angrier. He was afraid of Copeland and getting hurt, so he pulled a black .380 Ruger handgun from his right front pant pocket and shot him twice in the leg and throat, the report said.
Copeland fell to the ground, and Pickard got into his car to leave. He did not stop first to check on Copeland. When asked what stopped him from getting in his car and driving away, he stated he was afraid to sit down in the car. He thought Copeland would hit him while he was sitting down, the report said.
Copeland’s girlfriend advised that after the shooting, Pickard turned the gun on her and pulled the trigger several times. The gun did not fire, but she thought she was going to die, the report said.
An officer later collected the firearm from the vehicle Pickard arrived in. As he checked the firearm and made it safe, he heard a ping and saw a spring. He believed this may have caused the malfunction, the report said.
Pickard has been charged with murder/homicide (premeditated) and conspiracy (solicit/conspire offenses not listed). He continues to be held without bond at the Lake County Jail.