Two men charged with attempted murder in Lake Wales Mud Hole party shooting that wounded four

The Polk County Sheriff's Office has arrested two young men in the shooting that wounded four people at a crowded late-night party at the Lake Wales "Mud Hole" on Sept. 27, 2026. Richard William Fante, 20, of Lakeland, and Cordae DeShawn Hammonds, 19, of Avon Park, were taken into custody Thursday, Oct. 1, and each is charged with four counts of attempted second-degree murder and 62 counts of culpable negligence, according to a sheriff's office news release issued Oct. 2.

The arrests came after what the agency described as an exhaustive investigation in which detectives identified and interviewed more than 100 people who had been at the gathering. Both men are presumed innocent, and the charges are accusations that prosecutors will have to prove in court. Sheriff Grady Judd said the investigation remains active and that more arrests are possible.

What happened at the Mud Hole

According to the sheriff's office, deputies responded at about 12:18 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 27, to a report of a shooting at a party on Alturas Babson Park Cut-Off Road, west of U.S. 27, in the rural southern reaches of Polk County near Lake Wales. The property, known locally as the Lake Wales Mud Hole, is a wooded off-road spot with a small lake that draws off-roaders and weekend crowds, according to reporting by The Ledger and WTSP.

The party had been advertised on social media, and the sheriff's office estimated that between 150 and 300 people were there when the gunfire started. The online promotion billed the event with the slogan "Good vibes, good people and no drama," according to The Ledger and FOX 13.

The sheriff's office has not publicly described what set off the shooting, how many shots were fired or whether any firearm has been recovered. Its release does not say which of the two men is accused of firing which shots, and no motive has been disclosed.

Four people wounded

Four young adults were struck by gunfire. The sheriff's office did not release their names. The wounded, as described in the agency's release, were:

• An 18-year-old woman from Lakeland, shot in the abdomen. She was taken to a hospital by ambulance and was listed in stable condition as of Oct. 2.
• A 20-year-old woman from Lake Wales, shot in the right thigh.
• A 19-year-old man from Lakeland, shot in the left arm.
• A 21-year-old woman from Eagle Lake, shot in the left foot.

The three victims other than the 18-year-old were taken to the hospital by friends rather than by ambulance, according to the sheriff's office. The release did not provide updated conditions for those three.

The victims came from three different Polk County communities, a reminder of how far a party advertised online can draw. Lakeland, the county's largest city, is at the far northwest end of the county from the Mud Hole, while Eagle Lake lies between Bartow and Winter Haven. Hammonds' hometown of Avon Park is just across the county line in Highlands County, south along the U.S. 27 corridor.

Detectives interviewed more than 100 people

Large, loosely organized outdoor gatherings are difficult crime scenes. Hundreds of people scatter within minutes, many of them reluctant to talk to law enforcement, and the location offers little in the way of security cameras. In the days after the shooting, Polk County detectives worked to track down people who had been at the party and identified and interviewed more than 100 of them, according to the sheriff's office. Those interviews ultimately led detectives to Fante and Hammonds, The Ledger reported.

Both men were arrested Thursday and booked at the Sheriff's Processing Center, according to the agency's release. Bond information was not included in the release.

Judd, who has led the sheriff's office since 2005 and is known for blunt public remarks about gun violence, did not mince words about the danger to the crowd. He called the shooting an incredibly dangerous thing for young people to do and said "it's a miracle nobody was killed," according to the release and FOX 13. He also praised the detectives and deputies who worked the case.

The charges and what they mean

Each man faces the same set of charges, according to the sheriff's office:

The four attempted murder counts correspond to the four people who were shot. Under Florida law, attempted second-degree murder is classified as a first-degree felony, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in state prison per count. Florida's 10-20-Life statute can also impose mandatory minimum prison terms when a firearm is discharged during certain felonies and someone is injured, though how prosecutors apply that law will depend on the evidence and the formal charges they file.

Culpable negligence under Florida law covers conduct that exposes another person to personal injury through a gross and flagrant disregard for safety. When no one is hurt, it is a second-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to 60 days in jail. The sheriff's office did not explain how it arrived at 62 counts. Such counts are commonly tied to individual people who were placed in danger, but the release does not say so, and the number is far smaller than the estimated crowd.

Some early broadcast reports described a single culpable negligence count for each man. The sheriff's office release lists 62 counts for each.

A pattern of party shootings in Florida

The Lake Wales shooting is the latest in a series of incidents in Florida in which gunfire has broken out at large gatherings promoted on social media, from house parties to beach and park events. Law enforcement agencies around the state have repeatedly warned that such events, which can swell to hundreds of attendees with no security, organizer or permit, are difficult to police and can turn violent quickly.

In this case, investigators have not said whether any of the four wounded people were intended targets or simply caught in the crossfire, and the sheriff's office has not described any relationship between the accused men and the victims.

For residents of the Lake Wales Ridge, the Mud Hole is a familiar landmark, a place where trucks and off-road vehicles churn through mud on weekends. The shooting has drawn attention to after-dark gatherings at the site, though the sheriff's office has not announced any changes to how it patrols the property.

What's next

Fante and Hammonds will make initial appearances before a judge in the 10th Judicial Circuit, which covers Polk, Highlands and Hardee counties, where conditions of release will be addressed. The Office of the State Attorney for the 10th Circuit will then review the sheriff's office case and decide which charges to formally file, a decision that can add, reduce or drop counts from those listed at arrest. Both men are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

The sheriff's office said the investigation is ongoing and that additional arrests are possible. Anyone with information about the shooting can contact the Polk County Sheriff's Office or leave an anonymous tip with Heartland Crime Stoppers.