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Tape, testimony lead to arrest in shooting

By JONATHAN ABEL
Published January 4, 2007

BROOKSVILLE - Bruce McCall had the bad luck to be shot last week in south Brooksville, but he had the good fortune to have the shooting caught on tape - at least the sounds of the shooting, anyway.

That audio, which captured the shooter's voice as well as the gunfire, was used along with eyewitness testimony to help the Hernando Sheriff's Office make an arrest.

On Tuesday - three days after the shooting took place on Twigg Street - 18-year-old Demetri Nathan was arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder.

Detectives said that Nathan punched McCall and then shot him in the face at point-blank range.

The two men had been involved in a fight over an earlier drug deal, the detectives said.

During questioning, Nathan admitted to detectives that he was at the scene of the shooting and that he had fought with McCall, but he denied being the shooter, according to the arrest report.

The 59-year-old McCall was flown to St. Joseph's Hospital in serious condition. As of Wednesday night, he still was at the hospital, but his condition was not available.

At the time of the shooting, Nathan was on probation for possession of marijuana with intent to sell and resisting arrest.

He was taken to the Hernando County Jail on Tuesday and held without bond.

Jonathan Abel can be reached at jabel@sptimes.com or 352 754-6114.

[Last modified January 3, 2007, 21:23:46]