Man Shot Brother, Who Was Found Lying In St. Pete Driveway: Sheriff

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A man faces life-threatening injuries after he was shot by his brother and found bleeding in an unincorporated St. Petersburg driveway Tuesday afternoon, according to a news release from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies responded to reports of a shooting at a home on 66th Lane N. near 58th Avenue N. around 4:30 p.m.

When they arrived, they found 27-year-old Damian de Leon outside the home in the street. His 30-year-old brother, David de Leon Jr., was lying in the driveway with multiple gunshot wounds, the sheriff’s office said.

The siblings were the only people at the home at the time of the shooting. When Damian called 911, he admitted to shooting David, claiming it was in self-defense.

“There were no indications of a struggle and Damian sustained no injuries. The investigation determined Damian was the aggressor and there was no evidence to support the shooting was the result of self-defense,” PCSO said.

Damian also had pending active probable cause for his arrest for two counts of possession of cocaine and two counts of sale and delivery of cocaine for an unrelated incident, deputies said.

Damian was taken into custody and brought to Pinellas County Jail. He was charged with one count of attempted murder in the second degree, the agency said. He was also charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance and two counts sale and delivery of a controlled substance for an unrelated incident.

David was in critical condition on Wednesday, PCSO said.

The shooting remains under investigation.