Florida senior shot dead by cops after firing gun inside police station

Stepson of Linda Croteau, 71, says she was struggling after the death of her husband

Published Sep 10, 2026  •  2 minute read

A woman is seen brandishing a gun inside the Port Orange Police Department in Port Orange, Fla. Photo by Port Orange Police Department /YouTube screengrab

See more Toronto Sun on Google — save as a Preferred Source 

Article content

A shocking video released by Florida police showed the fatal shooting of an elderly woman who walked into a police station with a gun last week and fired a shot.

Article content

Article content

In surveillance video released by the Port Orange Police Department, the woman heads into the police station’s lobby at about 8:40 a.m. on Sept. 3. She then pulls out a gun and starts waving it.

Moments later, she fires a shot, which police said was directed at the evidence room where civilian employees were present.

After an unarmed civilian opens a door to the lobby, police officers order the woman to drop her weapon. The woman shakes her head, apparently defying police, and walks out of the station while still holding the gun.

Incident escalated in parking lot

Outside, an officer in the parking lot also orders the woman to drop her weapon, but she continues walking toward the cop.

“Drop it,” the officer warns. “I’m going to shoot you. Drop the gun,” he says, before firing three shots.

The woman falls to the ground, but sits up as the cop tells her to “stay away from the gun.” When she reaches for the firearm on the ground, officers fire multiple shots.

Article content

Police said the woman was taken to a hospital, where she died of her injuries.

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

Woman looked ‘like a zombie’

Authorities identified her as Linda Croteau, 71, but did not release a motive for the shooting.

Speaking to WESH TV, Croteau’s stepson said she was struggling following the death of her husband, but didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary when he spoke to her the night before the fatal incident.

A construction worker who witnessed the shooting outside the station said Croteau appeared confused.

“She was quiet. She didn’t say anything at all. She walked out of the front door like a zombie, almost just completely out of it,” Caleb Lemons told Fox 25 Orlando.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting.

Read More

1. 

   Florida man arrested after video shows him shooting fireworks from moving vehicle: Police

2. 

   Florida boy, dad facing legal trouble over jet ski incident

Article content