Man shoots date in Florida after learning he's a man, not a woman: deputies
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WMBB) - An Alabama man said he shot a man when he got into a truck for an online date and discovered that the driver was a man and not a woman.
Marquis Player, 19, of Sylacauga, Alabama, was meeting his date in the parking lot of a Front Beach Road motel at about 3:30 a.m. Sunday after arranging the encounter through Tagged, an online dating app, and Snapchat, according to court records.
Player told investigators that after hopping into the truck and seeing that his date was a man “became frightened and fired his weapon as a reaction.” He shot the man in the stomach, records state.
After shooting the man, Player went to the room of 23-year-old Tadarius Dale, told him what happened, and said they needed to leave, court records state. The two men then drove away from the scene.
Meanwhile, the shooting victim crashed his truck into the motel.
Player was charged with aggravated battery with a firearm. Dale is charged with accessory to aggravated battery with a firearm.
In a news release, Bay County Sheriff’s officials said the victim’s injuries were serious but not life-threatening. They added that the motive behind the shooting was still under investigation.
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