Spring Hill neighbor dispute over loud music ends in fatal shooting

A loud-music dispute on a quiet Spring Hill street ended with 52-year-old Francis Biegaj dead and his neighbor, Tony Deuser, jailed without bond on a second-degree murder charge.

Deputies were called to Gillian Circle shortly after 4:30 p.m. on April 7, after a 911 caller reported a man bleeding from the arm. When first responders arrived, they found Biegaj had been shot multiple times. Hernando County Fire Rescue began life-saving efforts at the scene before Biegaj was taken for medical treatment, where he later died.

Investigators said the shooting happened in the driveway area while both men were outside, with Biegaj working on his vehicle when the confrontation began. Deputies observed shell casings in the driveway and what appeared to be a gunshot wound to Biegaj’s left shoulder. A witness told investigators they heard multiple gunshots and saw a man later identified as Deuser walking away from Biegaj’s home toward a nearby residence while holding what appeared to be a pistol.

Deputies then moved to 89 Gillian Circle, where Deuser lived, and established a perimeter. After multiple unsuccessful attempts to make contact, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office brought in SWAT and the Crisis Response Team. Deuser eventually came out and was taken into custody without incident.

In his statement to deputies, Deuser said he became upset about the music, that Biegaj refused to turn it down, and that Biegaj told him to leave the property. Deuser said he shot at Biegaj twice before returning to his residence. He was booked into the Hernando County Detention Center and remains held without bond while the case stays active.

Florida law defines second-degree murder as an unlawful killing committed by an act imminently dangerous to another and evincing a depraved mind regardless of human life. It is a first-degree felony punishable by imprisonment for a term of years not exceeding life.

The shooting has rattled a neighborhood where, neighbors said, Biegaj’s buggy music was not unusual and his short bursts of music were part of daily life. FOX 13 Tampa Bay reported that Biegaj leaves behind a wife and four children, and a neighbor described him as generous and kind. The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office says the county’s population reached 218,150 as of July 1, 2024, nearly 390% higher than in 1980, a reminder of how fast-growing neighborhoods like Spring Hill can turn everyday disputes into deadly confrontations. Anyone with information can contact Hernando County Crime Stoppers at 1-866-990-TIPS (8477) or submit an anonymous tip online.