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Drive-by shooting leaves 2 injured

Authorities think the victims and suspects knew each other, and that it was not a random incident.

INVERNESS - Two men were injured Monday night during a drive-by shooting at the Inverness mobile home where they live. Citrus County sheriff's detectives are treating the incident as an attempted homicide case.

Michael Allen Collins, 23, suffered two gunshot wounds - one in his upper torso and one to his leg - and was in stable condition at Tampa General Hospital following the shooting, according to sheriff's spokeswoman Ronda Hemminger Evan. Vincent Irvin, 24, was grazed and was treated for a minor injury and released at the scene.

Authorities think the victims and suspect or suspects "are acquainted," Evan said, "and that this was not a random drive-by shooting."

No arrests had been made in connection with the incident as of late Tuesday afternoon. Sheriff's detectives were investigating.

Between 9:30 and 10 p.m. Monday, Collins and Irvin were outside the mobile home at 159 N East Ave. and saw a pickup truck driving slowly, Evan said. Then the shots came.

"Numerous" shots were fired during the incident, Evan said, declining to give the exact number. Crime scene markings next to bullet holes outside the home Tuesday indicated there were at least 10.

Christopher Brenner, 19, and Anthony Lee Dorman, 25, both of Inverness, also were outside the mobile home at the time of the shooting. Brandy Yancey, 18, who lives at the mobile home, and 21-year-old Stacy Allen, of Beverly Hills, were inside.

In an interview at the mobile home Tuesday, Brenner said the four men, who are good friends, were outside hanging out, talking and smoking cigarettes.

A dark-colored pickup truck stopped in front of the mobile home, Brenner and Irvin recalled. It was dark, the street light nearby was out, and they couldn't see who was inside.

Then it went to a stop sign, made a left, and came around again from the other direction, they said. Again, it stopped in front of the house.

Irvin remembered hearing a click before the shots came.

Irvin was sitting on the top step in front of the door and tried to push Dorman and Collins, who were standing in the doorway, inside the house and on the ground. Irvin tripped on the door ledge and as he fell, he felt the bullet graze his back near his left shoulder.

Collins got hit, too, in the same area, his friends recalled. "You could see his bone," Irvin said of one of Collins' injuries.

Brenner, who was seated on a concrete block, dove and was not hit.

Dorman also managed to get out of the way and went to a neighbor's to call 911, they said.

"We sit here minding our own business every day," Irvin said Tuesday.

Later Brenner said: "We just want to find out who did it."