James Lorefice, 28, of Orange City, Florida, died on February 4, 2017 after being shot at the home of his uncle, 56-year-old Fredrick Griswold, on Charles Avenue. Lorefice and his mother were visiting when an argument broke out while several people were drinking. Witnesses say the confrontation began in the garage, moved into the house, and that Lorefice allegedly tried to punch Griswold and slammed him into a china cabinet and coffee table; Griswold claimed Lorefice had a knife.

He later came out armed with a handgun and fired multiple times, striking Lorefice, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Griswold suffered a head laceration and was treated at a hospital, where he was guarded while in custody. The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office charged Griswold with first-degree murder, citing investigators’ determination that the fight had ended and deadly force was unnecessary once the immediate threat had subsided.

The case centers on alcohol, a reported history of tension between the men, and whether the shooting was lawful self-defense or an unjustified use of deadly force. If anyone knew James or was present that night, please share what you remember.