Lake County courts: 35-year prison term for man who pleads no contest to second-degree murder

TAVARES — A man accused of killing someone who was trying to break up a fight between two women has pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and been sentenced to 35 years in prison.

He had been charged with first-degree premeditated murder, which carries a mandatory life sentence, and was scheduled to stand trial on July 10.

A panicked caller to 911 said, “Somebody is going to die!”

Witnesses told Leesburg police that Rose was the gunman. Four days later, Lashun Allen came to the police station and admitted that it was her son who shot the 28-year-old, according to court records.

She said she drove him to her godson’s home in Ocala. During the drive, he told her: “Mom, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I flipped out when I seen the boy hit you and throw your hair.”

The trouble began when two women started scrapping in the area of Simmons Avenue and Tuskegee Street.

Robinson, the cousin of one of the women, stepped between them and began walking her home. However, friends and family members followed and fighting broke out among several women when they reached the 2100 block of Waitman Avenue.

Witnesses said they saw Rose, who was standing by a vehicle, pull out a gun and fire once, hitting Robinson. Rose then walked up to Robinson and fired four more rounds. Robinson was taken to Ocala Regional Medical Center, where he died a few hours later.

Rose entered his no contest plea on June 26.

It was not Rose’s first brush with the law. He was already a convicted felon, having brought a firearm to school two years earlier.