Fort Myers police are investigating the fatal shooting of a man outside of a Fowler Street strip club Saturday morning, the city's first homicide of 2017.
The shooting, in the parking lot of Scarlett's Cabaret, an adult entertainment business on Fowler Street, brought a heavy police presence to the club. The man who was shot was taken to Lee Memorial hospital, where he later died, police said.
The shooting occurred around 2 a.m., the usual closing time for the club.
Officers located the victim, Rogerio Melo Anjos, 34, suffering from a gunshot wound. Lee County EMS transported Anjos to Lee Memorial.
Anjos died a short time later as a result of his injuries.
Up until Saturday's incident, it had been a relatively quiet year for crime in the city.
By this time last year, five homicides, one of which was declared justifiable, had occurred. The city's last homicide was Christmas Day when 21-year-old Juan Gabriel Maldonado-Sepulveda was found dead.
Fort Myers community implores city, police officials for change Investigators determined that Anjos and a friend were leaving Scarlett's when they engaged in a verbal argument with three males.
The altercation quickly escalated and Anjos was shot by one of the unknown subjects.
All three are described as black males in their 20s. They were last seen leaving in a dark-colored hatchback with a yellow/blue New York State license plate.
Innocent Ft. Meyers is far less innocent than when I visited some 10 years ago. Sad.