Michael Reinel convicted of second-degree murder in North Port shooting
A Sarasota County jury rejected Reinel's self-defense claim after an October 26–28 trial over the 2025 killing of Zachary Lucas. Sentencing has not been scheduled.
- Development
- 28 October 2026
- Coverage
- Verdict
- Current status
- Verdict returned
- Source record
- 3 verified sources
Sarasota County jury returns guilty verdict
A Sarasota County jury convicted Michael David Reinel of second-degree murder with a firearm on October 28, 2026, after a three-day trial before Circuit Judge Frederick Mercurio. Prosecutors charged Reinel in the February 6, 2025, shooting death of Zachary Lucas, 40, inside a North Port residence. The Office of the State Attorney for Florida’s Twelfth Judicial Circuit announced the verdict on October 30. A sentencing date had not been set at the time of that announcement. [1] [2] [3]
Argument inside the North Port home
Independent reporting described an argument between Reinel and Lucas over noise inside the residence. The state attorney said the shooting happened at about 9 p.m. Two residents called 911, and one was trying to stop Lucas’s bleeding while help was on the way. A witness who had been in a bathroom said someone moved between the living room and Reinel’s bedroom during the argument and that Lucas mentioned a gun before the shots. North Port officers detained Reinel after he came outside with his hands raised. Officers found Lucas in the living room and immediately provided aid. Emergency medical workers continued treatment, but Lucas died about an hour after the shooting call. [1] [2] [3]
Revolver, projectile and DNA evidence
The state attorney’s office said investigators recovered a .357 revolver from Reinel’s bedroom. Florida Department of Law Enforcement testing matched a projectile recovered from Lucas to that revolver. Prosecutors also said the laboratory identified Reinel as the only contributor to DNA detected on the gun. The medical examination documented five gunshot wounds, including two entrance wounds in Lucas’s back. The prosecution used the firearm, laboratory results and wound evidence to challenge Reinel’s account of the shooting. [1]
Self-defense claim rejected at trial
Reinel testified that he fired in self-defense, according to the state attorney’s account of the trial. Prosecutors said the living room offered Reinel several routes out of the home while Lucas was positioned where he had no comparable escape. A second witness, who had been in a hot tub outside, described Reinel’s demeanor after the gunfire and said he was holding the revolver. The defense position required jurors to decide whether the shooting was legally justified rather than whether Reinel fired the weapon. After hearing the testimony and forensic evidence, the jury rejected that defense and found him guilty of second-degree murder with a firearm. The verdict resolved criminal liability at the trial-court level but did not determine the sentence. [1] [2]
Prosecution team and next proceeding
Assistant State Attorney S. Ethan Dunn prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the North Port Police Department with forensic work by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Judge Mercurio presided over the October 26–28 trial at the Sarasota County Courthouse. Because prosecutors had not announced a sentencing date with the verdict, the next major court event was still to be scheduled. Reinel remained subject to sentencing on the murder conviction and any applicable firearm findings. [1] [2]
Sources & further reading
- PRESS RELEASE: Michael David Reinel ↗Office of the State Attorney, Twelfth Judicial Circuit, Florida · 2026-10-30 · Primary source
- North Port man convicted of second-degree murder in 2025 fatal shooting ↗Tampa Bay 28 / WFTS · Date not stated
- Sarasota man convicted of murder after argument over noise turns deadly: State attorney ↗WFLA, via AOL · 2026-10-30
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