Update (Thursday, January 8, 5:00p)
The shooting happened at a Port Charlotte home where both Jordan Ruddy and his landlord, Iliana Martinez-Castillo lived. After the shooting, Ruddy walked to a neighbor's house and asked her to call 911.
Ring camera footage captured Ruddy at neighbor Alexus Taylor's door, speaking calmly as he requested help.
Click here to see ring camera footage from Alexus Taylor's home.
"Hi, is your husband here? He's not here? Okay, could you call 911 for me?" Ruddy said in the video.
Taylor was home with her children and mother-in-law when Ruddy arrived at her doorstep.
"I just really didn't think that, just what I've been told, like that she was shot multiple times, like that just blows my mind. Like he was talking to me just completely normal, as if nothing really even happened," Taylor said.
Another neighbor, Kathi, said she couldn't believe what happened.
"It's scary. I just had no clue what was going on. And I'm the kind of trusting person that just doesn't believe in that kind of thing. I mean, that's for like TV, not real life," Kathi said.
Update (Thursday, January 8, 2:23p)
A Port Charlotte man is facing a second-degree murder charge following a deadly shooting involving his landlord - a woman he said he thought died days before, according to the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies said they were dispatched to 23437 Van Buren Avenue on January 7, 2026, in response to a report that a person had been shot inside the house.
Investigators said the call came after Jordan Ruddy went to a nearby home and told a neighbor that someone had been shot, prompting a 911 call.
According to the arrest report, deputies talked to Ruddy outside the home.
He told them that his landlord and roommate, Iliana Martinez-Castillo, had a loaded gun inside the home and that the two had struggled over the weapon.
Deputies reported Ruddy had visible scratch marks on his upper shoulder, which he claimed were caused by Martinez-Castillo during the altercation.
The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office reports that past records show Ruddy was a tenant who rented a room inside the home. Deputies noted there were recent disturbance reports involving the home in which Martinez-Castillo wanted Ruddy removed from the home.
According to investigators, the victim was advised under Florida landlord-tenant rules that she would need to formally evict Ruddy.
When deputies attempted to call Martinez-Castillo after the 911 call, but said they received no response.
Deputies then went to the rear sliding door and entered the home, where they found Martinez-Castillo lying on the floor.
EMS later confirmed she had died.
Investigators said they found a black semi-automatic handgun on the floor with the slide locked back, along with multiple spent shell casings inside the house.
Detectives said they also found several shell casings from the front door area into the living room. According to the sheriff’s office, Martinez-Castillo was found on the living room floor near the hallway leading to the bedrooms.
The report said Ruddy told investigators he believed Martinez-Castillo had been dead for several days because of an odor coming from her room.
He said that while cleaning the house, he saw her walk out of the bedroom, which startled him. Ruddy told detectives Martinez-Castillo began yelling at him as he walked to his bedroom and sat on his bed.
Investigators said Ruddy told them Martinez-Castillo leaned against the bedroom door and wall while continuing to yell. The report said Ruddy admitted to kicking her in the face, shattering her teeth, before jumping on top of her after she pulled out a gun.
During the struggle, Ruddy said the gun went off, but it did not hit him.
The sheriff’s office said Ruddy told detectives he eventually gained full control of the firearm and attempted to shoot Martinez-Castillo, but the gun malfunctioned.
Investigators said Ruddy admitted to clearing the malfunction by “tapping and racking” the gun before shooting Martinez-Castillo multiple times - ultimately leaving the house and reporting the incident to a neighbor.
Ruddy was arrested later that night and was transported to Advent Hospital for medical treatment.
According to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, Ruddy is charged with second-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and failure to register as a convicted felon. Investigators state Ruddy has a prior conviction for battery on a law enforcement officer and was not supposed to have a gun in his possession at the time of the shooting.
Update (Thursday, January 8, 8:30a):
A man has been arrested following a deadly shooting involving his landlord in Port Charlotte, according to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded to a home on Van Buren Avenue around 1:39 p.m. on January 7, 2026, after receiving a 911 call reporting a shooting.
Investigators say that 39-year-old Jordan Patrick Ruddy was involved in a fight with his landlord inside the home.
The sheriff's office says during the confrontation, Ruddy shot the victim several times - killing them.
Ruddy was found at the scene and taken into custody.
He faces multiple charges, including failure to register as a felon, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and second-degree murder.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Original Reporting:
The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office said the Major Crimes Unit is investigating a deadly shooting on Van Buren Avenue in Port Charlotte.
WATCH: Neighbors react after deadly shooting in quiet Port Charlotte neighborhood:
The Sheriff's Office said all parties are accounted for.
Deputies blanketed the quiet Port Charlotte neighborhood on Wednesday as investigators taped off several blocks on Van Buren Avenue. The Sheriff's Office mobile command unit and Emergency Response Team were on the scene.
Neighbors told FOX 4 they are surprised to hear about a shooting in the normally peaceful neighborhood.
“Everybody’s quiet and kind of keeps to themselves," said Donna Mabry, who lives down the street from the crime scene. “I’m kind of shocked, actually.”
A Sheriff's Office volunteer blocked traffic in front of Kathi's home on Wednesday afternoon. Kathi asked FOX 4 only use her first name because the shooting left her on edge.
Kathi, who is from Minnesota, said she was taking garbage cans to the curb when she saw deputies line the street. She said the neighborhood is normally very quiet.
“And I thought what the heck is going on?," Kathi said. "Should I duck? Should I go back in?"
FOX 4 reached out to the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office for more information, including whether a suspect is in custody, but did not immediately hear back.
