A 72-year-old man from Clermont, Florida was arrested for shooting a Walmart delivery drone while the team has been conducting mock deliveries.
The police found a bullet hole in the payload that the drone was carrying, indicating that the gun sound heard by the crew targeted the drone.
Walmart Delivery Drone Suffers Damage in Mock Delivery
The Walmart crew filed a complaint to the Lake County Sheriff's Office due to the shooting incident. According to the two-man team, the drone was conducting mock deliveries in the area to introduce and attract customers to the new service.
While waiting for the drone, a loud sound similar to a gunshot was heard by the crew. The investigation discovered that the payload was shot which can cost up to $2,500.
Witnesses shared that they saw Dennis Winn, a 72-year-old man, shot the drone when it flew over his home. The police revealed that a 9mm pistol was used by the shooter to damage the device.
Lake Country Arrests Walmart Drone Shooter
According to Winn, he had seen drones flying over his home in the past and believed that the devices were conducting surveillance on him, resulting in the action. The witnesses helped the police locate the shooter and were able to conduct a Miranda interview.
Winn was charged with a second-degree felony for shooting an aircraft, a third-degree felony for criminal mischief causing damage over $1,000, and a misdemeanor for firing on public or residential property.
Last month, Walmart started to add the drone delivery option to its shopping app. Customers can now receive their items within 30 minutes or less.
The retail giant has been piloting drone deliveries since 2021 and has recorded over 30,000 deliveries to date.
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