Port Orange woman opens fire inside police lobby, chief says

A roughly 70-year-old woman opened fire inside the Port Orange Police Department lobby Thursday morning, then was shot by officers outside, Chief Manuel Marino said. No officers or civilian staff were hurt. Police identified her as Linda Croteau; she was hospitalized in stable condition. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the officer-involved shooting, and officials said there was no ongoing threat to the community after the incident near 8:30 a.m.

Key Takeaways

• Linda Jean Croteau, identified as 71, allegedly fired a handgun round inside the Port Orange PD lobby toward civilian records staff.
• Three officers confronted her outside; an officer-involved shooting followed, and she was taken to a hospital in stable condition.
• No officers or civilian employees were injured, and police said the community faced no continuing threat.
• A motive has not been identified; the lobby is expected to stay closed until Tuesday, Sept. 8.

The story broke across Central Florida outlets after Port Orange police confirmed a rare attack inside their own headquarters. Chief Manuel Marino briefed reporters on how the encounter began at the front records section and ended in the parking lot. For more BlasterPost coverage across our desks, including Wealth Hacks & Passive Income, follow our category hubs alongside local breaking news.

What happened inside the Port Orange police lobby?

According to Marino, shortly after 8 a.m. Thursday a woman entered the main lobby of the Port Orange Police Department holding a handgun. He described her as a roughly 70-year-old White female.

She engaged civilian staff at the front records section and brandished the firearm, the chief said. She remained in the lobby for a few minutes before firing a round in the direction where civilian staff were working.

Spectrum News 13 reported that Marino later identified the woman as Linda Jean Croteau. WFTV said Port Orange Police identified her as 71-year-old Linda Croteau and that officers shot her in the department parking lot around 8:30 a.m.

Fox News likewise reported Marino’s account that she opened fire inside the lobby and that officers and employees were safe and accounted for afterward. Police publicly stated there was “no threat to the community” following the shooting.

How did the officer-involved shooting unfold outside?

After the round was fired inside, a radio call went out referencing an active shooter or shooting in progress, Marino said. Officers responded as Croteau exited the front lobby and was confronted by responding officers.

Marino said three Port Orange officers were involved in the officer-involved shooting. None of those officers were injured, and no civilian staff suffered injuries, according to his briefing.

He told reporters the suspect was still holding her firearm when confronted by officers. She was transported to a hospital. Her name was initially withheld pending next-of-kin notification, Fox News reported, before local outlets later named her.

WFTV reported that Croteau remained in stable condition at a hospital and that police had not yet identified a motive. Multiple witnesses described seeing the confrontation in the parking lot.

Witness Demetrius Pinkins told WFTV he arrived and saw officers with their guns drawn. Video he shared showed officers running toward an armed woman in the parking lot, the station reported.

Another witness, Caleb Lemons, who was across the street, told WFTV he saw Croteau drop the gun, walk to the curb, sit down, put her hands on her head, and “pretty much [give] up,” after which he said gunshots were fired her way. When WFTV asked Marino to clarify whether she was still holding the firearm when officers confronted her, he replied that she was still holding it at that point.

What do investigators know so far about motive and next steps?

Police have not identified a motive for the shooting, WFTV reported. Marino also said it was too early to determine whether Croteau had any previous interactions with the Port Orange Police Department.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting, according to Fox News reporting on Marino’s comments. The department parking lot remained blocked off Thursday as investigators processed the scene, WFTV said, about 10 hours after the shooting.

Marino said the department lobby is expected to remain closed until Tuesday. Spectrum News 13 specified that closure runs until Tuesday, Sept. 8.

The chief said the department is focusing on employee well-being after the critical incident. “We will do some kind of critical incident debrief for them, give them the resources that they need and try to help them to get through, as well as the officers,” Marino said, according to Spectrum News 13. “We do this during any critical incident for the mental health of our employees.”

WFTV said it requested body camera video from the officers involved and would report on the footage when it becomes available. As of the latest local updates, the investigation remained ongoing and no community-wide threat was declared after the immediate scene was secured in Port Orange.

Incidents inside a police headquarters are uncommon and quickly draw regional attention because they raise questions about public-lobby safety and how quickly officers can respond when a shooting begins in their own building. In this case, officials emphasized that civilian staff and officers escaped injury even after a round was fired toward the records area.

Readers following Central Florida crime and public-safety updates should treat early ages and naming details carefully: Marino initially described a “roughly 70-year-old” woman, while WFTV’s later identification listed Linda Croteau as 71. Spectrum News 13 used the fuller name Linda Jean Croteau while repeating the chief’s approximate age description from the press conference.

BlasterPost will continue tracking official statements from Port Orange police and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement as investigators work to establish why Croteau entered the lobby with a handgun and fired inside a busy public records area on a weekday morning.