Zachary Ludwig, a 35-year-old resident of Naples, Florida, died on December 31, 2023, in a workplace shooting incident at the Port of the Islands resort, where he was employed.
The incident occurred around 3:25 p.m. on New Year's Eve when Collier County deputies responded to a call at the resort located at 25000 Tamiami Trail E. in Naples. Upon arrival, they found Ludwig dead in the open lobby area, approximately 50 feet from the main entrance doorway.
The shooter was identified as James Gamble, 64, a former employee of the Port of the Islands resort. Gamble had fatally shot Ludwig before taking his own life. Authorities discovered Gamble's body in a hotel office with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
During the response, deputies evacuated the hotel and secured the surrounding area. Multiple calls had been made to the sheriff's office, including one from a certified first responder who reported that Ludwig had already died. Witnesses reported hearing at least five shots fired.
The investigation revealed that both Ludwig and Gamble had worked at the hotel, although Gamble was no longer an employee at the time of the incident. The exact motives behind the shooting were not immediately detailed in the reports.
