North Port man convicted of second-degree murder after argument over noise ended in fatal shooting

A Sarasota County jury has convicted Michael David Reinel, 28, of second-degree murder with a firearm in the February 2025 shooting death of Zachary Lucas, 40, inside a North Port home, after an argument that began over noise, the State Attorney's Office for the 12th Judicial Circuit said. Jurors rejected Reinel's claim that he fired in self-defense. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.

The verdict followed a three-day trial at the Sarasota County Courthouse from Oct. 26 to Oct. 28 before Circuit Judge Frederick Mercurio, according to the State Attorney's Office, as reported by WINK News and WFLA.

What happened that night

The shooting happened around 9 p.m. on Feb. 6, 2025, at a home in North Port, according to prosecutors. North Port police said at the time that officers responded shortly before 9:30 p.m. to a reported shooting in the 8000 block of Rocliff Avenue, FOX 13 reported.

Two residents called 911 after an argument between Reinel and Lucas escalated into gunfire, prosecutors said, and one of the callers tried to stop Lucas's bleeding while they waited for help. Officers found Lucas lying on his back in the living room with multiple gunshot wounds. Officers and paramedics tried to save him, but he was pronounced dead about an hour after the first 911 call.

When police arrived, Reinel walked out of the home with his hands up and was detained, WFLA reported, citing court documents. Witnesses described his demeanor after the shooting as calm.

A woman who was in the home told police that Reinel had become angry with her and Lucas because they were being loud, and that was how the argument began, according to WFLA. Reinel's arrest affidavit says the woman was in the bathroom when she heard Lucas tell Reinel, "Don't point that at me if you're not going to use it." She then heard gunshots and came out to find Lucas on the floor and Reinel holding a gun, according to the affidavit as reported by WFLA.

Another witness, who was outside in a hot tub when the shooting happened, reported seeing Reinel holding a revolver afterward, prosecutors said.

The evidence at trial

Investigators determined Lucas was shot five times with a .357-caliber revolver, which officers recovered from Reinel's bedroom, according to the State Attorney's Office. The gun held five rounds.

Prosecutors told jurors that Reinel had several opportunities to leave the living room during the confrontation, while Lucas was in a part of the room with no way out. One witness told investigators that someone had moved back and forth between the living room and Reinel's bedroom several times before the shooting, and heard Lucas mention a gun before the shots were fired.

Reinel testified in his own defense and told jurors he acted in self-defense. Prosecutors countered with evidence that two of Lucas's five gunshot wounds entered through his back. Florida Department of Law Enforcement testing matched a projectile recovered from Lucas's body to the revolver found in Reinel's bedroom, and DNA testing identified Reinel as the only contributor of DNA found on the gun, according to the State Attorney's Office.

Assistant State Attorney S. Ethan Dunn prosecuted the case. "This Defendant brought a gun to the living room to end the argument once and for all, and by any means necessary," Dunn said in the office's release. "His actions escalated a verbal altercation beyond saving and the Victim paid the ultimate price."

Dunn also addressed the self-defense claim directly. "The right of self-defense is one of the most important rights protected in Florida, but its exercise must be based on more than just wanting to win the argument," he said.

Case timeline

The case took about 20 months from the shooting to the verdict:

At the time of the arrest, North Port police said Reinel and Lucas knew each other and called the shooting an isolated incident. Police Chief Todd Garrison said then that "every life taken by violence is one too many." The department noted that North Port had recorded no homicides in 2024 and that Lucas's death was the city's second homicide in the opening weeks of 2025, FOX 13 reported.

Self-defense under Florida law

Self-defense claims are a frequent issue in Florida homicide trials. State law allows a person to use deadly force if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm, and a person who is not engaged in criminal activity and is in a place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat. Once a defendant raises self-defense at trial, prosecutors must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the use of force was not justified.

In this case, prosecutors relied on the physical evidence, including the wounds to Lucas's back, and on testimony about the movements in the home before the shooting, to argue that Reinel was not responding to a threat. The jury's verdict shows it accepted that argument.

What sentence Reinel faces

Second-degree murder is a first-degree felony in Florida, punishable by up to life in prison. Under the state's 10-20-Life law, when a jury finds that a defendant discharged a firearm and caused death during such a felony, the court must impose a minimum of 25 years and may impose up to life. Published reports on the verdict did not detail the specific findings on the jury's verdict form, and the State Attorney's Office did not state the sentence it will seek.

Before sentencing, the court may order a presentence investigation, and Lucas's family will have the opportunity to address the court.

What's next

Judge Mercurio will set a sentencing hearing at a later date. Reinel can appeal his conviction to Florida's Second District Court of Appeal after he is sentenced.

The North Port Police Department investigated the case with help from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the 12th Judicial Circuit Medical Examiner's Office, according to prosecutors. The 12th Judicial Circuit covers Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties.