RAW VIDEO- 71-Year-Old Woman Dies After Firing Gun Inside Florida Police Station Lobby

PORT ORANGE, Fla. — A 71-year-old woman who opened fire inside the lobby of the Port Orange Police Department died Friday after officers shot her outside the building when she refused repeated commands to drop her weapon, police said.

Linda Jean Croteau entered the station shortly after 8 a.m. Thursday, holding a handgun, pointed it at civilian staff in the records section, and fired one round toward the area where employees were working. No officers or staff were injured. She then walked out into the parking lot.

Police released surveillance and body-camera video Friday “in the interest of transparency and to help dispel misinformation.” The footage shows Croteau remaining in the lobby for several minutes before firing, then exiting as officers arrived. Outside, she continued advancing toward officers and civilians while holding the firearm despite commands to drop it. Officers fired, stopped when the gun fell, then fired again after she reached toward it on the ground. They immediately rendered aid. Croteau was taken to a hospital and died the following day.

Three officers were involved in the shooting. Port Orange Police Chief Manuel Marino described the encounter as a “dynamic and rapidly evolving situation” and said the department supports the officers’ actions to protect the public and staff. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is leading the investigation, which is standard in officer-involved shootings.

Croteau’s stepson told local reporters she had recently lost her husband and had been struggling. Police have not identified a motive. Some witnesses across the street offered differing accounts of whether she dropped the gun before officers fired; the department’s video and the chief’s statement maintain she was still armed when confronted and reached for the weapon after it hit the ground.

The department said its thoughts are with the officers, employees, Croteau’s family, and everyone affected.