State Attorney Ed Brodsky announced today that Michael David Reinel was convicted after a jury trial of Murder in the Second Degree with a Firearm. The crime was investigated by the North Port Police Department (NPPD). The three-day trial was held at the Sarasota County Courthouse from October 26-28, 2026. The Honorable Judge Frederick Mercurio presided over the trial. A sentencing date is pending.
The charge came from a shooting at a home in North Port, Florida on February 6, 2025, around 9pm. Two residents of the home called 911 to report a shooting that had followed an argument between the Defendant and the Victim. They reported several shots fired, and one caller was actively trying to stop the Victim’s bleeding from what was later determined to be five separate gunshot wounds.
When members of NPPD arrived at the home, they discovered the Victim on his back in the living room of the home with several gunshot wounds. They immediately rendered life-saving aid to the Victim, and an EMS team arrived shortly after to provide more care. Sadly, the Victim was pronounced deceased about 1 hour after the shooting call came out. The investigation later revealed he had been shot five times with a 357 revolver that was located in the Defendant’s bedroom during a security sweep of the home by law enforcement. The gun only held five rounds in total. The investigation also revealed that the living room of this home had several locations for the Defendant to exit the home, and that it was the Victim who was in a part of the house where he had no escape. One of the two witnesses, who was in a bathroom when the shooting occurred, described someone passing from the living room into the Defendant’s bedroom several times during the argument leading up to the shooting, and that the Victim at one point mentioned a gun before the shots rang out. The other witness, who was in a hot tub outside when the shooting happened, described the Defendant’s calm demeanor after the shooting and the fact that the Defendant was holding a revolver in his hand.
The Defendant testified at trial that the shooting was in self-defense, a claim later rejected by the jury’s verdict. The autopsy of the Victim showed that two of the five gunshot wounds entered the Victim in the back. A projectile from the Victim’s body was later matched to the revolver found in the Defendant’s bedroom, and the Defendant’s DNA was the sole person’s DNA on the firearm – both facts confirmed in testing by Florida Department of Law Enforcement forensic analyses.
The lead prosecutor in the case, Assistant State Attorney S. Ethan Dunn, said:
“This Defendant brought a gun to the living room to end the argument once and for all, and by any means necessary. His actions escalated a verbal altercation beyond saving and the Victim paid the ultimate price. He left the safety of his own room and instead of leaving the home through several avenues, he chose to confront the Victim with a firearm and unload it into the Victim. While he later claimed this was self-defense, his actions showed he did not fear the Victim; instead, he was more focused on winning the argument rather than walking away and de-escalating the situation. The right of self-defense is one of the most important rights protected in Florida, but its exercise must be based on more than just wanting to win the argument. We are thankful for the jury’s careful consideration of this case in reaching a just verdict. The State Attorney’s Office is grateful for the members of the North Port Police Department, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the 12th Judicial Circuit Medical Examiner’s Office; their dedication led to the Defendant being held accountable for his actions and a just outcome.”
If you have any questions or would like further information please contact Assistant State Attorney S. Ethan Dunn in the Sarasota County office at 941-861-4400.