Police have tracked down the gun that killed a fisherman found dead in the Everglades in July – but they say they don’t know who pulled the trigger.
Lawrence Ramdass, 46, of Plantation, was fishing behind a berm in the Holey Land Wildlife Management Area in Palm Beach County when he was struck in the chest by a .45-caliber bullet.
That bullet came from a gun being used by two men for target practice, but because no-one knows who fired the fatal shot, police can’t press charges, The Sun-Sentinel reports.
Killed: Lawrence Ramdass (right), 46, was shot and killed while fishing in the Everglades in July – but police don’t know which of two men fired the fatal shot as both had used the same gun
Accident: Ramdass (left, with a friend) was shot in the Holey Land Wildlife Management Area by either Ricardo Galvan and Christian Salcedo, who didn’t see him behind thick vegetation
Ricardo Galvan and Christian Salcedo were around a third of a mile away from Ramdass, practicing with a series of weapons, including the .45-caliber pistol, when he died.
The pair had been stopped and questioned by a state wildlife officer that same day because firing guns in the area outside of hunting season is prohibited.
But the officer had to leave them to help Ramdass, who had been fishing with his uncle and a friend when he was hit.
The officer described the pair to a sketch artist and detectives lifted fingerprints from an item described as ‘fresh evidence’, leading them to Galvan.
Galvan said that he and his pal Salcedo had been firing guns in the area – something that was apparently a hobby of theirs.
But because they were separated from the fisherman by a berm covered in brush and tall grass, neither of them knew that he had been struck and killed.
‘Galvan voluntarily surrendered his .45 caliber gun for testing,’ the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said.
Angry: Ramdass’ sister (pictured second from left) is furious that his killer won’t see any repercussions – even though they were firing guns out of season
‘Both males were cooperative and advised that they both shot multiple guns that day, handing them back and forth. They both shot Galvan’s .45-caliber gun throughout the afternoon.’
Teri Barbera, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office added: ‘Galvan and Salcedo expected that no one would, or even could be behind the berm that they were shooting at.
‘Although Galvan and Salcedo were cooperative, it cannot be determined who fired the fatal shot that struck and killed Lawrence.’
She added that detectives found ‘no criminal intent’ in the death, and that police and prosecutors all ‘agreed that there is no probable cause for an arrest at this time.’
That was small comfort for Sandy Stallone, Ramdass’ sister, who said: ‘It wasn’t hunting season, and they shouldn’t be firing a weapon in the first place.
‘There are signs out there saying it’s illegal to shoot. Anyone that fires a weapon, you’re responsible for your actions, accident or no accident.
‘I’m disappointed with our system. What example does this set for us?’
The Sun-Sentinel also reported that local authorities tend to fine, not prosecute, people using guns out of season in the swampland.
Over the past three years, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has issued 321 warnings and 25 citations in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties – and given out littering violations due to bullet casings on the ground.
Robert Klepper, spokesman for the wildlife service, said that officers use their ‘best judgement’ to decide whether to cite or warn shooters, and that ‘Since every citizen contact is unique, we hesitate to second-guess our officers’ decisions’.
Unsurprisingly, Stallone was displeased. ‘That’s just a slap on the wrist,’ she said. ‘My brother lost his life. He was a sweet, nice man.
‘My mom can’t sleep. She can’t eat. I have a hard time going to work. All I do is think about my brother. The law is there for a reason, but if nobody’s enforcing it, how can anything be done?’
The state prosecutor’s office has been contacted for comment.