Sarasota Jury Convicts North Port Man in 2025 Fatal Shooting

A Sarasota County jury returned a guilty verdict for Michael David Reinel on Wednesday, ending a three-day trial. The North Port resident was convicted of second-degree murder with a firearm, according to the State Attorney's Office for the 12th Judicial Circuit.

The case involves a shooting that occurred around 9 p.m. on Feb. 6, 2025, inside a North Port home. Prosecutors stated that two residents inside the house called 911 after an argument between Reinel and the victim escalated into gunfire. Police officers arrived to find the victim in the living room with multiple gunshot wounds. Despite life-saving measures by officers and emergency crews, the victim was pronounced dead roughly one hour after the initial call.

Investigators determined the victim was shot five times with a .357-caliber revolver. The weapon was later recovered from Reinel's bedroom and contained five rounds. An autopsy revealed that two of the five wounds entered the victim's back. Florida Department of Law Enforcement testing matched a projectile recovered from the victim to the revolver and identified Reinel's DNA as the only biological material detected on the firearm.

During the trial, Reinel testified that he acted in self-defense. The jury rejected that argument and found him guilty. The State Attorney's Office confirmed the conviction in a news release, noting that a sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.