Crime & Safety

Florida Shooting: Woman And Son Killed; 4 Others Injured In Sanford (UPDATE)

Police say the shooting began as a domestic incident at a home before the accused gunman shot two innocent bystanders while fleeing.

SANFORD, FL — Update: One of the juveniles who was shot Monday in the shooting in Sanford has died, police said. The boy, 8-year-old Branden Christian, was the son of the woman whose boyfriend apparently opened fire on the family and two innocent bystanders. The boy's brother and grandfather are also in critical condition. The two bystanders who were shot and injured are in stable condition.


SANFORD, FL — A woman was killed and her two sons critically injured following a domestic shooting where three other people were shot and injured, two of whom were innocent bystanders, police in Sanford, Florida said Monday.

The shooting began as a domestic incident before the accused shooter, identified as 31-year-old Allen D. Cashe and who was apparently the woman's boyfriend, seemingly shot at two other victims at random, including a high school student waiting at a bus stop to board a bus to school.

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Before the shooting, police responded to at least two incidents involving the deceased victim and the accused shooter. Around 3:20 a.m., officers were approached by the victim, 35-year-old Latina Herring, at a local gas station where she told police Cashe had the keys to her home and would not return them. While an officer was speaking to Herring, police received a 911 call from Cashe telling them that Herring had the keys to his vehicle. Police say Herring returned the keys to Cashe, and the two left the gas station separately.

A little more than 15 minutes later, police received a 911 call reporting a battery on a female and were told by the caller the information was from a third party. Police say they could not find the victim in the reported area, and while they were trying to find the woman, they received another 911 call telling them the subject had a gun.

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According to police, they determined that the call was about Herring and Cashe and arrived at Herring's home. Police found the two arguing in the front yard over Cashe returning Herring's keys. Police say they searched Cashe's vehicle and did not find any weapons, nor did they find the keys but rather found them inside the home.

Cashe was about to leave the home when Herring brought out a bag that was apparently filled with his belongings. Police say he refused to take it, and Herring gave it to the officers for safekeeping. The bag contained a Glock 22 handgun and ammunition, police said.

Police say officers patrolling the area heard gunshots around 6:20 a.m. and then saw a white vehicle driving away from the area erratically. About two minutes later, they began receiving 911 calls about a shooting that had occurred inside the home. Herring's father, who was also shot, was standing outside the home yelling for help.

Officers found Herring dead inside the home, and her young sons were critically injured from apparent gunshot wounds. Police found two other victims, a 43-year-old man and an 18-year-old high school student, who had been shot. Cashe was taken into custody by officers just before 6:30 p.m., and police found an AK-47 rifle on him when he was arrested.

Herring's sons were both taken to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando and are in critical condition. Herring's father was taken to Central Florida Regional Hospital where he is in critical condition. The other two victims are said to be in stable condition.

Cashe has been charged with first-degree homicide, four counts of attempted first-degree premeditated homicide, second-degree attempted homicide, one count of felon with a firearm and violation of parole-felon with a firearm.

The Orlando Sentinel reported that Cashe had a criminal history. According to the Sentinel, he pleaded no contest in 2015 to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was placed on 18 months of probation, which would have expired Friday. He had a separate probation-related case pending and had served jail time for punching a former girlfriend. The Sentinel also reported that four people, but not Herring, had petitioned for domestic-violence injunctions against Cashe.



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