Man gunned down store manager who offered him work, bragged that he had 'no remorse': Police

A Florida antheral allegedly made tiny speech with a store manager earlier taking retired a weapon and shooting her to death.

Landen Ballard, 20, is down bars successful the St. Lucie County Jail aft being charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence. According to an apprehension warrant reviewed by Law&Crime, Ballard and 2 unnamed radical went to a We Buy Gold store successful Fort Pierce, Florida, wherever 35-year-old Lanessa Rodriguez was the store manager. After having a "casual conversation," constabulary said Ballard produced a weapon and fired aggregate shots astatine Rodriguez, leaving her for dormant arsenic helium and the pistillate fled the store.

The unnamed pistillate who drove Ballard to the store told constabulary that arsenic they drove away, Ballard was allegedly "bragging" and asked, "Is it atrocious that I person nary remorse?"

Police said they responded to a telephone astatine 7:12 p.m. connected April 28 astir a pistillate who was perchance dormant wrong the We Buy Gold store. According to the warrant, a workfellow who worked astatine different store determination had been trying to interaction Rodriguez, and became acrophobic aft not being capable to scope her. The workfellow went to the Fort Pierce determination and recovered Rodriguez "lying successful a excavation of blood" down her desk.

When constabulary arrived, they recovered respective slug casings and slug holes successful the wall. Rodriguez was declared dormant astatine the scene.

At 11 p.m. the aforesaid night, a pistillate who said she was 1 of the radical who was with Ballard astatine the store made interaction with constabulary successful Vero Beach, Florida. After she was brought to the Fort Pierce Police Department, she told investigators that Ballard contacted her that time due to the fact that helium wanted to merchantability a golden pendant. She said Ballard spoke to a pistillate whom she believed was Rodriguez connected the phone, adding that Rodriguez had antecedently offered Ballard work.

According to the warrant, the pistillate who drove stayed successful the car portion Ballard and the different unnamed antheral went wrong the store. She told constabulary that erstwhile Ballard and the different antheral came retired and got backmost successful the car, Ballard said helium changeable Rodriguez doubly past "finished his clip." During their ride, Ballard allegedly asked, "Is it atrocious that I person nary remorse?"

The pistillate told constabulary that Ballard allegedly discarded the weapon and mag retired the rider broadside model portion they drove. Police aboriginal recovered the 9mm handgun connected the broadside of the road. She said Ballard allegedly planned to instrumentality to the store truthful helium could rob it, and told the pistillate to "comply oregon she would beryllium killed and near successful the woods if she refused."

The 3 reportedly went backmost to the store, but upon seeing constabulary enactment there, they returned to Vero Beach, Florida. After the pistillate dropped Ballard and the different antheral off, she went consecutive to the police.

The alleged shooting was captured connected surveillance cameras wrong the store. According to the warrant, Ballard came into the store and sat crossed from Rodriguez. The 2 "begin to prosecute successful casual conversation," arsenic if they had antecedently known each other. Ballard was seen "fiddling with his phone" and "bounc[ing] his leg." Police said helium past produced a achromatic firearm that was retired of Rodriguez's view. As Ballard started to wield the gun, his speech with Rodriguez continued.

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After the 2 spoke for betwixt 2 and 5 minutes, Ballard allegedly raised the weapon and fired 1 changeable astatine Rodriguez, hitting her successful the shoulder. She stood up, and Ballard allegedly fired 3 much shots that deed Rodriguez successful the chest. She fell to the level arsenic Ballard emptied his magazine. After Ballard and the different antheral left, Rodriguez was seen trying to scope for a telephone to telephone for assistance successful her last moments.

The pistillate called Ballard portion she was astatine the constabulary presumption for a 2nd interview. During the call, constabulary said helium erstwhile again said helium had nary remorse for the shooting. He besides told the women that helium was astatine his parents' location and was readying to permission for New York.

Ballard was arrested astatine his parents' location and charged with first-degree execution and tampering with evidence. He is being held without enslaved astatine the St. Lucie County Jail. His adjacent tribunal day was not available.

According to reporting by section quality outlet TCPalm, Rodriguez, a transgender pistillate and fixture connected the resistance queen circuit, was remembered by her friends arsenic an "incredible idiosyncratic with a immense heart" with a household who loved her. Police identified Rodriguez utilizing her commencement name, Lazaro Rodriguez Vega.