Walk away,’ a woman warned veteran Bart Diguglielmo in a Walmart parking lot, then she opened fire seconds later

A parking lot dispute outside a Walmart in North Lauderdale, Florida, turned deadly on June 30, leaving 62-year-old Army veteran Bart Diguglielmo dead. Cellphone footage captured by a witness and reported by Bored Panda shows Diguglielmo in a tense exchange with an unidentified woman in an empty parking space at around 12:30 PM. The confrontation escalated within seconds, ending when the woman drew a weapon and fired while Diguglielmo stood several feet away.

In the video, both parties are seen repeatedly pointing at each other before Diguglielmo raises both arms in the air as the woman backs away. Without further warning, she pulls out a firearm and fires. Diguglielmo, who served as a combat nurse, combat medic, and tactical communications expert, is seen clutching his stomach before collapsing to the ground.

Following the shooting, the woman placed the weapon on top of a nearby car and waited for law enforcement to arrive as witnesses reported hearing her screaming and crying. Witness David Anderson told CBS News Miami that he heard the woman shouting as he approached the scene, noting she was saying a lot of things as it unfolded. The woman has since told Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies that she acted in self-defense.

Florida’s self-defense law sets a high bar that investigators still have to clear

Florida law lays out specific conditions for when deadly force is legally justified. Under Florida Statute 776.012, a person is justified in using deadly force if they reasonably believe it is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm. The statute also removes any duty to retreat for someone who has a right to be where they are and is not engaged in criminal activity, provided they are not the one who provoked the confrontation in the first place.

Diguglielmo was rushed to Broward Health Medical Center, where he later died of his injuries. His daughter, Amanda, described her father as a good man and said the two had recently worked to repair their relationship. She told Local 10 that nobody deserves to lose their life over a parking spot, and she pushed back against rumors circulating online, stating her father was not the type of person to make improper advances toward someone.

His sister echoed those sentiments, describing him as a Christian man who would not hurt anyone. Detectives are currently reviewing the footage to determine whether criminal charges are warranted, and the case unfolds amid a string of similar confrontations at retail locations, including one where a store owner pulled a gun on a group of teenagers who had attacked him outside his shop after a similar armed confrontation went viral online.

The woman has been detained for questioning and is reportedly cooperating with the investigation. As of now, no charges have been filed against her, and authorities have not indicated when the review of the footage is expected to conclude.

This incident follows another Florida case in which a couple was arrested over a parking lot attack on a mother who had disciplined her child, a reminder that disputes like these can spiral quickly and end in criminal charges even without a weapon involved, as seen in another deadly store dispute that made headlines the same week. In that case, 66-year-old Terry Williams and 63-year-old Mary Williams were accused of confronting the mother after falsely claiming to work for the Florida Department of Children and Families, with the confrontation allegedly turning physical.

Terry Williams was arrested on a battery charge and released after posting a $2,500 bond, while Mary Williams was arrested on battery and burglary charges and released on a $5,000 bond.