A man was shot in the stomach, possibly with a shotgun, in a downtown DeLand parking lot early Sunday and the shooter was arrested, police said.

The victim, whose identity was not released as police are trying to make contact with his family, was airlifted to a trauma center at Central Florida Regional Hospital in Seminole County, said DeLand police Lt. Juan Millan.

Millan said investigators learned that the shooting occurred in a parking lot on Georgia Avenue near Florida Avenue around 1:40 a.m.

The accused shooter, Charles Muise, 29, was arrested and charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, Millan said.

He was being held on $10,000 bail.

The victim underwent surgery Sunday morning and is expected to survive, Millan said.

Investigators said that a boyfriend and his girlfriend were being loud at a bar at Café DaVinci and were asked to leave.

Millan said the pair left westbound on Georgia Avenue and in a parking lot engaged in a verbal argument.

At that time, Muise told police he thought a domestic violence incident was ongoing and intervened. An argument started and Muise went to his vehicle, retrieved a firearm and came back. An argument started again and Muise shot the victim in the abdomen, Millan said.

Preliminary police investigations have so far revealed that there was no domestic violence as the woman had imbibed too much and was belligerent. The boyfriend was trying to get his girlfriend into his vehicle when Muise shot him, Millan said.

Detectives continue to investigate the incident, Millan said.

-------







