A Summerfield man was jailed Sunday after his landlord claimed he pulled a gun on him and later fired shots into his residence.
The victim said he had been in a verbal altercation with 30-year-old David Lee Wissinger when he became belligerent, threatened to beat him up and said he would “(expletive deleted) up” his car, a sheriff’s office report states.
The victim told deputies he was standing in a hallway while Wissinger was in his bedroom. He said Wissinger pulled out a black revolver, pointed it at him and threatened him. He said he was in fear for his life so he retreated to the living room and “contemplated calling 911,” the report says.
The victim said Wissinger gathered some items, exited the home and discharged his firearm into the residence. The victim said he “knows the rounds penetrated the residence” because he heard debris hitting the floor inside. After inspecting his residence, the victim said he found a hole in a kitchen cabinet and a small fragment from the cabinet on the floor, the report says.
Two witnesses reported hearing gunshots at the residence and reported a white male leaving the home. One said the man was “waving what appeared to be a handgun” in front of the residence and then leaving in a silver vehicle.
Deputies also spoke with Wissinger’s girlfriend and her mother when they pulled up in a silver Buick LeSabre. The girlfriend’s mother said her daughter had driven Wissinger away from the residence and he had placed her handgun on top of the vehicle, the report says.
A short time later, deputies made contact with Wissinger in the area of Timucuan Road and S.E. Sunset Harbor Road. After being read his rights, he confirmed there was an altercation between him and his landlord and he started packing up his belongings. He claimed the victim was sitting in a chair in the living room when he pointed a pistol at him and then fired it twice, once into the floor and the other one into the door of his bedroom, according to the report.
When asked why he didn’t call law enforcement for help, Wissinger said he thought he and the victim were friends.
“But he also added anything he did beyond explanation in the interview was done in self-defense,” the report states.
Deputies noted several holes on the outside and inside of the victim’s residence that were “small and circular and appeared to be made by a bullet.” They also noted damage to a kitchen cabinet as claimed by the victim but didn’t find any holes in the floor as claimed by Wissinger.
Deputies then searched Wissinger’s girlfriend’s vehicle and located a black backpack that contained four spent .38 Special casings and a brown leather holster. Wissinger claimed ownership of the backpack but said the spent shell casings came from his girlfriend’s firearm after target shooting, the report says.
A computer check showed that Wissinger was a convicted felon with convictions for assault on an official on May 8, 2007; possession of cocaine on March 29, 2010; and grand theft and dealing in stolen property on March 7, 2013. He was then placed under arrest and transported to the Marion County Jail.
Wissinger was charged with firing a missile into a building, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and possession of a weapon or ammunition by a convicted felon. He was released early Monday morning on $22,000 bond and his next court date hasn’t yet been set, jail records show.
