Police in Florida have arrested a 27-year-old man for allegedly shooting a US Army veteran to death after an argument at a gas station last year.
Kendrick Jerrod Anderson is charged with second-degree murder in the November 2023 death of 60-year-old Gregory C. Reed in Ocoee, a suburb of Orlando. Ocoee police said in a press release Friday that detectives arrested Anderson after a year-long investigation.
According to a probable cause arrest affidavit, a Publix grocery store employee called 911 around 8:30 p.m. on November 9, 2023, to report an accident involving a Ford SUV in which someone was killed.
Officers and paramedics responded to the scene and discovered that the driver, later identified as Reed, had been shot multiple times. First responders rushed him to the hospital, where he was declared dead.
The SUV was seen on Publix surveillance video approaching from the adjacent BP/Circle K gas station before making an abrupt right turn and colliding with a parked vehicle.
A witness at the gas station stated that he and his girlfriend were sitting in front of the station when he noticed the SUV and a Mercedes enter the parking lot around the same time. The driver of the Mercedes attempted to pull into a pump but almost collided with Reed’s SUV.
According to the witness, Reed responded by honking his horn. According to the witness, Reed and the two people in the Mercedes were shouting “what, what” back and forth, apparently sizing each other up.
Reed exited the gas station after parking his Mercedes at the pump. That’s when the passenger in the Mercedes got out, walked up to Reed’s SUV, and allegedly fired five shots, striking Reed several times. The Mercedes then drove off.
Reed was wearing a Domino’s Pizza T-shirt at the time of his death, and his boss told detectives he had just finished his shift as a delivery driver before the murder.
Following the shooting, Ocoee police shared surveillance photos of the suspect’s Mercedes with the public. The vehicle’s owners saw news coverage and contacted police. They said they rented the car to Anderson for two weeks beginning October 27.
Anderson’s friends told detectives that he would frequently let his friend drive the vehicle while he sat in the passenger seat. Street cameras confirmed this, according to police.
Detectives also obtained a search warrant for Anderson’s phone, which allegedly showed he was in the area at the time of the murder.
A search of his phone revealed that he took a picture of a TV station’s live coverage from the murder scene and sent several text messages asking for “prayers” after Reed’s family met with the media to request information about the shooting, according to police.
On November 4, 2023, officers arrested Anderson and transported him to the Orange County Jail. However, because prosecutors did not proceed with an order for pretrial detention, a judge issued him a $50,000 bond, which he has since posted.
Reed’s obituary stated that he served in the United States Army from 1981 to 1984 after graduating from high school. He worked in the food industry and eventually opened his own restaurant.
“Greg was a truly beautiful soul. He was a loving and dedicated father, son, brother, uncle, and cousin. According to the obituary, he always made time for his children and family and never passed up an opportunity to spend quality time together.
