A trivial argument over ice cream in a downtown Ocala, Florida home ended in a double homicide on the evening of Wednesday, October 28, 2026, claiming the life of 69-year-old Charles Etheze. Etheze, a male, and his 78-year-old roommate, Michael Menkes, were both shot and killed by their landlord and third roommate, Mark Lynn Robinson, also 69. The three men lived together in a house owned by Robinson in the 1000 block of Southeast 8th Street.
The day of the shooting, police were called to the residence around 4:16 p.m. for a verbal disturbance. Officers found the three men arguing about one of the tenants eating Robinson's ice cream. According to Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken, the officers managed to de-escalate the situation, and no crime was committed. To cool things down further, Etheze and Menkes decided to leave the house and go for a walk. The officers left, believing the dispute was resolved.
Chief Balken later described the living arrangement as "dysfunctional" and Robinson as an "angry old man that had some alcohol problems." Robinson later admitted to police that he had consumed a bottle and a half of white wine before the shooting.
A little over an hour after the initial police visit, at approximately 5:32 p.m., dispatchers began receiving 911 calls about shots fired at the same address. When officers returned to the home, Robinson surrendered to them in the front yard and immediately stated he had shot both of his roommates. Inside the home, police discovered Charles Etheze deceased in the hallway from multiple shotgun wounds. Michael Menkes was found in the front yard with a shotgun wound to his back; he was rushed to a local hospital but did not survive his injuries.
Robinson told detectives that after the first police visit, he feared his roommates would retaliate, so he retrieved a 12-gauge shotgun and placed it on the living room couch. He claimed that when Etheze and Menkes returned from their walk, they referred to themselves as the "ice cream bandits" and rushed at him, with Etheze allegedly holding a knife. Robinson stated he felt threatened and fired at Etheze. He admitted to following Etheze into the hallway and shooting him a second time. As Menkes tried to flee the house, Robinson shot him in the back. A knife was recovered at the scene.
The Ocala Police Department launched an investigation, led by Detective Crystal Bessette. Robinson was taken into custody and booked into the Marion County Jail. He was initially charged with one count of second-degree murder for the death of Michael Menkes, as evidence showed Menkes was fleeing when he was shot. Chief Balken stated that Robinson's self-defense claim regarding the shooting of Etheze was under investigation and that additional charges were possible pending further examination of the evidence and more interviews. Two dogs were also removed from the home for their safety.
"In the end, I have a very young officer trying to calm three 60- to 70-year-old men down over ice cream," Chief Balken said during a press conference. "It’s a ridiculous situation to happen anywhere, much less in Ocala." The double homicide was a significant event for the city, which had recorded only two murders in the entirety of 2025. As of late October 2026, the city had seen nine homicides that year.
The case against Mark Lynn Robinson is proceeding through the court system. As of October 2026, he had been arrested and charged for Menkes's murder, while the investigation into Charles Etheze's death continued.
