Sanford 7-Eleven parking lot shooting leaves one hospitalized; 19-year-old arrested after argument

Sanford Police Department officers responded to reports of a shooting at the 7-Eleven in the 2700 block of West 25th Street on Feb. 27 and found evidence of gunfire and one injured person in the store’s parking lot, police and local TV outlets reported. Fox35 said the department responded around 1:30 p.m., and officers on scene located the person who was then taken to a hospital.

Accounts differ on the severity of the victim’s condition. WFTV reported that “that person was taken to a hospital to be treated for injuries, but their condition was not immediately available,” while WESH described the individual as having been taken to the hospital with “serious injuries.” Fox35 and the Sanford Police Department have not released a patient name, age, or the specific treating facility.

Sanford police said investigators found physical evidence of gunfire at the 7-Eleven property near West Airport Boulevard, just east of State Road 417, and that the inquiry is ongoing. WFTV quoted the department saying the investigation is “in its early stages,” and Fox35 noted “the department has not reported any other injuries at this time.”

The shooting prompted safety measures at nearby schools. WESH reported that Journeys Academy, Wicklow Elementary and Idyllwilde Elementary were placed on Code Yellow during the police response. The school status was tied directly to the same afternoon incident on West 25th Street, though the district or individual schools did not provide additional public statements in the initial reports.

Multiple local outlets sent crews to the scene. WFTV said a Channel 9 crew was heading to the shooting site and advised viewers it would update coverage that evening. Facebook and other brief social posts mirrored the Sanford Police Department’s initial account that one person had been taken to a hospital after the Friday afternoon shooting.

A claim that a 19-year-old was arrested after an argument appears in the provided headline for this story but is not present in the Sanford Police Department information cited by WFTV, WESH or Fox35. There has been no official confirmation in the dispatches and news excerpts reviewed that an arrest was made, that a suspect’s age is 19, or that the shooting followed an argument.

Sanford Police continue to investigate the incident and have released limited details. News outlets covering the scene said they will update reports as the department provides additional information.