LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA) — A Lakeland man was arrested after allegedly firing several rounds into the home of his former business partner on Wednesday.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said Michael Stribling, 27, drove to the north Lakeland home armed with a rifle at around 6 p.m., which victims told them happened about 20 minutes after his business partner returned a work van and decided to leave the company.
The sheriff’s office said five people were home at the time of the shooting, but no one was shot. A victim reported hearing six to ten shots fired and deputies said seven bullet holes were found in the home. A victim was hit in the arm by a piece of shrapnel, but they reportedly refused medical attention.
Multiple victims and witnessed told deputies that the alleged shooter sped off in his truck. The sheriff’s office caught up with Stribling at his home and arrested him. Deputies said they searched his home and found five guns, ammunition matching casings found at the site of the shooting, methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
“The fact that nobody was seriously injured in an attack like this is both astonishing and fortunate. Business partnerships end all the time, but going out and trying to end someone’s life for it while endangering the lives of four other people in the process is completely unhinged.” Sheriff Grady Judd said.
Stribling was charged with five counts of attempted second degree murder, firing a gun into a dwelling, discharging a firearm from a vehicle, discharging a firearm in public, possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
