A Connecticut man was shot and killed by a Florida sheriff’s sniper after allegedly firing more than 200 bullets at surrounding residences and officials for several hours on Thursday.
The suspect, Joseph DiFusco, was killed by a Volusia County Sheriff’s Office sniper, but no one else was injured, the sheriff’s office stated.
Sheriff Mike Chitwood told the Daytona Beach News-Journal that DiFusco, 56, was a snowbird who may have imported firearms from out of state while vacationing at Airbnb.
Deputies arrived to the Kingston Shores condominiums near Ormond-by-the-Sea around 4 a.m. after DiFusco reported suicidal thoughts but denied medical evacuation, according to FOX Orlando. Deputies were summoned back to the scene two hours later when DiFusco allegedly opened fire on neighboring units and responding law enforcement personnel.
“Probably fired over 200 rounds,” Chitwood claimed. “[You could] hear bullets whizzing over our heads, and we were 100 yards back.”
According to Chitwood, deputies had previously visited the condominium complex three times, as reported by the news channel.
“He was not going to negotiate,” he told the news outlet. “Every time we tried to negotiate, he opened fire on us. [He] switched his phone off. He was heavily armed.”
The neighbors were evacuated from the area. According to Chitwood, DiFusco’s family contacted authorities before the incident, citing concerns for their safety.
“They were so scared of him, they were sleeping in a car,” he told me.
He mentioned that DiFusco had stopped taking his medication and had not slept in days.
The sheriff’s office shared images of the complex’s outside walls, which are peppered with bullet holes. The ordeal lasted longer than five hours.
Authorities said DiFusco had barricaded himself in his rented unit and was armed with at least three firearms.
