On September 27, 2023, Jodie Stout, a 52-year-old auto shop owner, was fatally shot at his business, Stout's Auto, located at 1801 South Belcher Road in Largo, Florida. The incident occurred around 11:26 a.m. when multiple 911 calls reported an active shooter at the shop.
The shooter was identified as Eugene Frank Becker, a 78-year-old former customer of the auto shop.
Becker had previously visited the shop in 2021 and was unhappy with the service he received, feeling he had been overcharged. Following this incident, Becker was involved in a car crash in Pinellas Park, which led to him being hospitalized and losing his car. This sequence of events left Becker feeling "somewhat depressed and extremely frustrated."
On the day of the shooting, Becker arrived at the shop in a rental car, approached the front desk, and asked for Jodie Stout. Upon confirming he was speaking with the owner, Becker pulled out a gun and fired in Stout's direction. Stout, who was a gun enthusiast and member of the NRA, retrieved his own gun and returned fire. Both men exchanged multiple shots, resulting in both being hit by gunfire.
Police officers arrived at the scene shortly after the 911 calls and found both men with gunshot wounds. Both Becker and Stout were transported to local hospitals, where they were pronounced dead.
Jodie Stout was born on January 4, 1971, in Chanute, Kansas, and spent most of his early life in Earlton, Kansas. He moved to Wichita, Kansas, after high school to attend a mechanic vocational school, where he earned his ASE Master Technician certification. Stout later opened his own auto shops in Kansas and eventually in Florida, starting Stout's Auto, Inc. in Clearwater in 2009 and another shop in Largo in 2012. He was known for his honesty and kindness in business and enjoyed activities such as fishing, scuba diving, and traveling with his family.
Stout is survived by his wife, Laura Craft Stout, his children Masson, Morgan, and Tristen, and several grandchildren. He also leaves behind his father, Sam Stout, his mother, Deborah Ogle Stout, and his birth mother, Susan Patton, as well as several siblings and many nieces and nephews.
