A Florida man is facing multiple charges after police say he intentionally shot himself outside his workplace in an attempt to gain sympathy from a female coworker he was allegedly stalking.
Alexander Lefort was arrested on April 9 in connection to a 2023 incident outside a FedEx warehouse in Cocoa, where he claimed he had been shot by an unknown assailant during an attempted robbery. Police initially responded to reports of gunfire around 5:45 a.m., finding a shell casing near Lefort's car and a loaded firearm in the driver's side door.
Suspicion quickly mounted due to the unusual placement of Lefort's vehicle, mostly out of the range of surveillance cameras. "In addition, the parking lot appeared to be at only half capacity, but Mr. Lefort's vehicle was furthest from the building's main entrance," a police affidavit detailed.
While hospitalized, Lefort gave police conflicting statements about the alleged shooter.
Meanwhile, Lefort was being investigated in a separate case for stalking a coworker. According to court documents, Lefort had left threatening notes on her car and sent harassing text messages. A note on her car read, "I know you're sleeping with him again. He is trash. You've been warned."
A forensic report released last month revealed the bullet casing from the scene matched Lefort's own firearm.
"I have probable cause to believe that Alexander Lefort intentionally discharged the aforementioned firearm into his abdomen in an attempt to gather sympathy to (his coworker), whom had halted all communication with Mr. Lefort after she accused him of harassing her," investigators concluded.
Lefort has been charged with giving false information to law enforcement, tampering with evidence, and discharging a firearm in public. He was released later in the same day he was arrested on a $4,000 bond.
Originally published on Latin Times
