2 In Sarasota Shooting That Paralyzed Man Sentenced

SARASOTA, FL — Two men accused of firing 17 shots into another man's body, injuring and partially paralyzing the man, were sentenced to life in prison on charges of attempted murder and other charges, State Attorney Ed Brodsky said this week.

After a jury trial at the Sarasota County Courthouse, Brodsky said Carlos Herrera and Akeleis Dumbar were convicted of several charges stemming from the Nov. 23, 2022 shooting of another man.

The duo was accused of waiting outside of the man's townhome for more than 40 minutes before the shooting. Brodsky said they entered through a broken gate and waited for the man to return home.

After the man arrived and parked his car, Brodsky said Herrera and Dumbar drove next to his car and shot 17 rounds of bullets into the man's body before fleeing the scene.

The man was taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, where he underwent trauma surgery, Brodsky said. Though the man was shot in his liver, small bowel and brain, Brodsky said he survived "against all odds" though his right side is paralyzed.

A motive for the shooting was not revealed. Herrera and Dumbar were convicted on the following charges after a 10-day trial in November, Brodsky said:

• First-degree attempted murder with a firearm
• Discharging a firearm from a vehicle within 1,000 feet of a person
• Shooting at or into an occupied vehicle
• Shooting at or into an occupied dwelling
• Aggravated battery with a firearm causing great bodily harm

Additionally, Dumbar was convicted of witness tampering, Brodsky said. Both Dumbar and Herrera were sentenced to life in prison Friday, Dumbar said.

“The strength and resiliency of (the victim) and his family is unparalleled. While no amount of time will ever fully restore (the victim), the jury’s verdict and court’s sentence provided the justice he and his family deserved," Assistant State Attorney Megan Leaf said in a news release.