NAPLES, FL – A New Year’s Eve celebration turned to tragedy at a Florida resort when a former employee shot and killed a staff member before taking his own life. The violent episode unfolded at the Port of the Islands Resort in Naples, prompting an evacuation and an extensive search of the area by law enforcement.

Authorities from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office reported that the shooter, previously stripped of a management position at the resort, entered the lobby on Sunday afternoon, fatally shooting a young employee described as a military servicemember. Authorities discovered the gunman deceased in an office of the resort, with evidence suggesting he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Witnesses to the horrifying event included resort staff, one of whom, a former employee speaking on the condition of anonymity, revealed to investigators that the victim was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. The former employee expressed his devastation for the victim’s family, praising the young man’s military service and potential bright future.

The former colleague of the shooter characterized him as unstable, referring to erratic posts made on social media that escalated to a point of concern, particularly those directed at the hotel and its owner.

As detectives continue their investigation, neither the name of the gunman nor the victim has been officially released. Furthermore, attempts to reach resort representatives for comment on the matter and information regarding the accommodation of evacuated guests have gone unanswered.

The Port of the Islands Resort was closed following the incident, and it remains unclear when it will reopen as the investigation proceeds.