Brooksville man gets 35-year sentence in Sunset Motel shooting

A Brooksville shooting at the Sunset Motel ended with Joshua Worley sentenced to 35 years in prison, with at least 25 years mandatory before he can be considered for release. Worley fired a shotgun during an altercation at the South Broad Street motel and left a victim with a life-threatening gunshot wound to the abdomen.

Hernando County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to reports of gunfire at the motel on Nov. 27, 2024. When they arrived, they found the wounded victim and began life-saving aid at the scene until medical personnel arrived and took the person to a regional trauma center for surgery.

Detectives later pieced together the shooting through physical evidence, witness interviews and statements gathered at the scene. Investigators determined that Worley, born Dec. 22, 1990, fled on foot immediately after the shooting, but deputies located him nearby and took him into custody.

The case was handled as a sentencing update in a Brooksville attempted-murder case. Worley’s status as a convicted felon also made the gunfire more serious under Florida law, because he was barred from possessing firearms or ammunition. His sentence in the Florida Department of Corrections carries the 25-year minimum mandatory term tied to the firearm enhancement that prosecutors used in the case.

The Sunset Motel sits at 301 S Broad Street in historic downtown Brooksville. The property is a room-and-kitchenette motel with nightly, weekly or monthly rates.