Deputies say the victim was shot in the lower body after a verbal dispute turned violent.
BRANDON, Fla. — A 38-year-old man is facing attempted murder and other charges after deputies say he shot a door-to-door solicitor multiple times in a Hillsborough County townhome community on the evening of Feb. 18, 2026, during what investigators described as a sudden escalation of a neighborhood dispute.
The shooting, reported around 8 p.m., left the victim with multiple gunshot wounds but injuries that deputies said were not life-threatening. The case is the latest in a run of incidents that local law enforcement officials cite as reminders of how quickly routine interactions can turn dangerous, especially when firearms are introduced into confrontations.
Deputies were dispatched to the Providence Townhomes area near Fluorshire Drive after a caller reported shots fired. When they arrived, they found a male victim wounded in the lower body, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies provided emergency aid at the scene and the victim was taken to a local hospital. Investigators said the victim had been working with a female co-worker, going door to door to sell telecommunication products and services in the neighborhood.
Detectives said the encounter began when the suspect, identified as Reginald McGee, became verbally aggressive toward the woman. As the pair started to leave, investigators said McGee attacked the male worker. During the struggle, deputies said McGee pulled a firearm from his waistband and started shooting. The victim ran, and investigators said McGee chased him and continued firing until he ran out of ammunition. The sheriff’s office did not identify the victim or the co-worker in its public release.
After the shooting, deputies said McGee returned to his residence in the neighborhood. When deputies arrived, he came out of the home armed with a firearm and was taken into custody, the sheriff’s office said. McGee was booked on charges that include attempted second-degree murder with a firearm with great bodily harm, aggravated battery with great bodily harm or a deadly weapon with a firearm, and discharging a firearm in public or on residential property.
Sheriff Chad Chronister called the shooting an avoidable decision that caused serious harm to a person who, investigators said, was doing his job. “This was a completely unnecessary escalation that left a man seriously injured simply for doing his job,” Chronister said in a statement. He said deputies acted quickly to arrest the suspect and prevent further harm in the neighborhood.
The Providence Townhomes community sits in the Brandon area east of Tampa, where dense residential pockets can bring frequent door-to-door activity tied to home services, internet, security systems and other sales. Deputies did not say whether the solicitation had been scheduled by residents or whether it involved a specific company, and they did not release any details about what was said before the dispute turned physical. Investigators also did not say whether anyone else was in immediate danger during the gunfire, or how many residents may have witnessed the chase and shooting.
The charging documents were not included in the sheriff’s office summary, and deputies have not publicly described what evidence they collected beyond the initial reports and their account of the arrest. Still, the timeline laid out by investigators suggests the case will center on the moments between the verbal confrontation and the point when deputies said McGee pursued the victim while firing. Prosecutors typically rely on witness statements, any available surveillance footage, neighborhood cameras, physical evidence from the scene, and medical records to show the severity of injuries and the intent behind the gunfire.
McGee’s initial court appearance schedule and any bond decision were not detailed in the sheriff’s office release. In Florida, attempted second-degree murder is a serious felony, and adding firearm and great bodily harm enhancements can raise the potential penalties if a defendant is convicted. The sheriff’s office said any additional updates would come from its Public Affairs Office as the case moves through the court system.
Neighbors in the area described the incident as jarring because it unfolded during a normal evening in a residential complex, with families and commuters returning home. Some residents said the idea that a worker could be shot while walking away from a door made them uneasy about both personal safety and how future interactions might go. Investigators have not said whether the suspect and the workers had any prior contact before that night.
By late Feb. 21, 2026, the suspect remained in custody and the victim was expected to recover, according to the sheriff’s office’s description of the injuries. Authorities said they would release further information through the sheriff’s public affairs channel as the case proceeds and court dates are set.
Author note: Last updated February 21, 2026.