Manuel Macho Torres Jr., 37, was fatally shot on March 20, 2024, in the parking lot outside UpperCutz Barbershop at Bell Plaza along Tamiami Trail in Port Charlotte. Torres, a well-known barber who ran UpperCutz and who was described by friends and relatives as a devoted husband and father, had been active in the community, donating school supplies and providing free haircuts to children. He left behind his wife and two sons.

The shooting occurred next to a hydroponics store owned by David Lee Hull. Investigators say an argument between Torres and Hull escalated into a physical struggle; Hull asserted he was choked for roughly 17 to 20 seconds and feared for his life. Prosecutors instead emphasized surveillance footage showing that after the struggle Hull stood up, Torres began moving away, and within about four seconds Hull drew a gun and fired twice, one bullet striking Torres in the heart. Hull was arrested on April 23, 2024, and charged with second-degree murder; he pleaded not guilty and has argued self-defense under Florida law. A judge set bond with conditions of GPS monitoring, no firearms, no passport and no contact with Torres’s family.

The central dispute is whether the seconds between the end of the struggle and the shots meant the deadly force was lawful self-defense or an unlawful killing. Does anyone have information or was present that afternoon at Bell Plaza?