Prosecutors in Broward County, Florida, announced Thursday that a woman will not face charges in connection with the fatal shooting of a man during a dispute over a parking space. The Broward County State Attorney's Office determined that Florida's "stand your ground" law makes the shooter, who claimed self-defense, immune from prosecution.
The incident occurred on June 30, 2026, in the parking lot of a Walmart in North Lauderdale. Bart Diguglielmo, 62, was killed in the confrontation, which was recorded on multiple video devices, including cellphones and a Tesla.
According to a memo released by the State Attorney's Office, the shooting stemmed from a "brief stalemate" over a parking spot. The shooter, identified as Melissa Payne, was with her niece and the baby when the dispute with Diguglielmo began. Diguglielmo reportedly abandoned his vehicle in a travel lane and entered the store. Upon returning to his car, witnesses reported hearing him say he would "mess her car up" and "---- her s--- up." He then drove off at high speed, parked, and approached Payne's vehicle, appearing visibly angry, according to a witness.
Payne exited her vehicle holding a phone in one hand and a firearm in the other. A witness reported she warned Diguglielmo, "If you keep coming up to me, I'm going to ------- shoot you!" Despite the warning, Diguglielmo continued to approach Payne aggressively, as captured on video. He continued to pursue her as she backed away, motioning as if he would damage her vehicle with his keys.
Diguglielmo then turned back and approached Payne again, at which point she fired her weapon, striking him in the abdomen. Payne, who was on the phone with her husband during the incident, told him she had shot Diguglielmo and to call the police. She was briefly taken into custody by the Broward Sheriff's Office but was released after her account of the events aligned with video evidence.
In the analysis, Division Chief Stephen Zaccor stated that Payne was in a public place where she had a legal right to be and, not being a convicted felon, was lawfully in possession of a firearm. Therefore, her use of deadly force was permissible if she reasonably feared death or great bodily harm. Zaccor concluded that based on the evidence, specifically Diguglielmo's actions, the state could not prove that Payne's fear was unreasonable. He noted that under Florida's "stand your ground" law, she was not required to retreat as long as her fear was reasonable and no evidence disproved it.