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In the high-adrenaline vacuum of a carjacking, victims are often left paralyzed by the suddenness of the threat. The suspects successfully took the keys, seized the vehicle, and began to flee the scene. However, what Singletary and Coleman had failed to account for was that Louise Ornduff was not as defenseless as she appeared. As the stolen car began to pull away, Louise drew her own weapon. Amidst the screech of tires and the frantic pulse of a mother protecting her family, she fired a single, calculated shot.
The bullet shattered the glass and found its mark, striking Lasupta Singletary. Realizing his partner was gravely wounded, the seventeen-year-old Coleman took the wheel and raced toward a nearby hospital. The arrival at the emergency room was frantic, but medical intervention came too late. Doctors pronounced Singletary dead shortly after he was brought in, turning a botched robbery into a fatal tragedy for one family and a legal nightmare for another.
Legal experts and criminal defense attorneys noted that the crux of the case would rely on whether the threat was “imminent” or if the suspects were considered “fleeing felons” at the time of the shooting. Under Florida law, the use of deadly force is generally scrutinized based on whether a reasonable person would believe such force was necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm. The surveillance footage from the bank became the silent, objective witness in a case where every second and every foot of distance mattered.
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