Lakeland teen stable after early morning shooting

Police are searching for a gunman who opened fire on a Florida Southern College freshman early Sunday morning as the student walked around Lake Hollingsworth.

Investigators are calling the crime a random act of violence against Andrew Tuccinardi, 18, of Wellington, but they are still trying to piece together what happened and why.

Tuccinardi was shot, according to Lakeland Police, who are not giving any details about the location of his wounds.

"I don't know why he was out on the lake at 12:30 [a.m.], but a lot of people use that lake 24 hours a day; a lot of runners, a lot of walkers are around that lake at all hours," Lakeland police spokesman Jack Gillen said.

Detectives said several neighbors at the nearby Lake Hollingsworth Apartments heard the gunshots and ran outside to see what happened. Sarah Grandone, a student at Southeastern University, said she and her friends heard two gunshots and then the sound of a car driving off.

Tuccinardi was found southeast of the Florida Southern campus in a bike lane the surrounds the lake.

"There was a man laying in the road right across the street, and he was screaming and, like, moaning and asking for help," Grandone said.

Grandone said two of her friends ran to Tuccinardi's side.

"He told them that a car had pulled over and asked him for directions to Florida Southern, which is right down the street, and as the guy was going to tell them where to go the driver shot him twice," Grandone said.

Gillen said Tuccinardi was only able to tell detectives that the car that approached him was a red vehicle. Investigators planned to interview Tuccinardi again today at Lakeland Regional Medical Center, where they say he is in stable condition.

Florida Southern is keeping its students updated on the investigation as well as Tuccinardi's condition through on-campus e-mail. Friends of Tuccinardi have also set up a get-well page on Facebook.