Linda Croteau, 71, opened fire in the lobby of the Port Orange (Florida) Police Department building. reported local police. After the shooting, the woman walked out of the building, where she was confronted by arriving officers, who opened fire on her. Croteau was hospitalized; no police or civilian department employees were injured.
At 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Croteau entered the department building holding a pistol. According to the New York Post (NYP), she began talking to one of the civilian employees in the registration department while brandishing a firearm. A few minutes later, Croteau fired in their direction.
Then the woman went to the exit of the department, and three police officers arrived directly there. As Croteau exited the building, she was confronted by law enforcement officers, who opened fire and wounded her. At the same time, eyewitness Caleb Lemons told WFTV that Croteau, after going outside, dropped the weapon, sat down on the curb and put her hands on her head, and only after that the police fired. Police Chief Manuel Marino offered a different version: Croteau was still holding the weapon when confronted by officers, he said.
The woman was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. None of the officers or employees of the registration department were injured. The department will be closed until September 8.
“This [случаи со стрельбой] always a concern for us, especially with our civilian personnel who, you know, are not trained or used to this,” Marino was quoted as saying by the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
It is unknown why Croto opened fire. According to the publication, the woman lives in Port Orange with a neighbor, who said that the shooter recently lost her husband, Gary Croteau, and this was a “great emotional shock” for her.
The couple were very friendly and there were no quarrels in their relationship, another of Croto’s neighbors, 38-year-old Vrezhan Wellington, shared with the publication. He was surprised and called the incident “strange” when he learned about the shooting, which was carried out by a pensioner.
The woman published a video on Facebook in 2025 criticizing US President Donald Trump. In one of the videos, the author discussed the alleged cover-up of information during the investigation into the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Croteau also posted video last June of a Sacramento County sheriff's deputy pushing another elderly woman out of a building onto the sidewalk after she was released from jail.
