Woman, 75, gunned down in Florida

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Summary: In Arcadia, Florida, on April 17, 2026, 75-year-old Barbara Bates was shot and killed while on the phone with 911 reporting a domestic shooting in her apartment complex. The gunman, 45-year-old Eric Devon Robinson, first killed his girlfriend, Tanika Summers. Bates died from shots fired through her bedroom window. Robinson faces two first-degree murder charges and remains jailed without bond.

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On a quiet morning in this small DeSoto County, Florida community, gunfire ripped through the Jacaranda Trail Apartments and claimed two lives in what authorities describe as a domestic dispute that spiraled out of control.

Seventy-seven-year-old Barbara Bates, a beloved grandmother, stepped in to help on April 17, 2026. Around 9:15 a.m., she dialed 911 after spotting a man in the parking lot shoot his girlfriend. As she described the scene to the dispatcher, the gunman turned toward her apartment. Moments later, two bullets crashed through her bedroom window. The call went silent. Bates never finished her report.

Police arrived quickly and arrested 45-year-old Eric Devon Robinson nearby within minutes. They found Tanika Summers, the first victim, shot multiple times outside. Officers searched the complex but initially missed Bates, who remained inside her unit. It took until about 1 p.m.—roughly four hours after the shooting—for her granddaughter, Madalyn Brown, to discover her body and alert authorities again.

Robinson now faces two counts of first-degree murder along with additional charges, including kidnapping and obstructing justice. He remains in the DeSoto County Jail without bond. His arraignment is set for June 1.

Friends and relatives remember Bates as the kind of neighbor who looked out for others. Brown, who had to make that heartbreaking second 911 call, has spoken publicly about the family’s pain and the lingering questions about how the second victim went unnoticed for so long during the initial response. The case has also renewed local conversations about how quickly domestic situations can turn deadly, even when bystanders try to intervene.

Arcadia Police and the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office coordinated the response after the initial call routed through a neighboring county’s 911 system—a standard backup procedure during high call volumes. Officials say dispatchers acted promptly and passed along critical details, allowing the swift arrest.

For a tight-knit town like Arcadia, the double homicide hit hard. Residents who once chatted in the apartment courtyard now share stories of both women’s lives while grappling with the randomness of the violence. Bates’ decision to call for help that morning reflected the community spirit many here value, yet it also exposed how fragile safety can feel when conflict erupts close to home.

The investigation continues as prosecutors build their case.

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Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Sources:

New details emerge in Arcadia double-homicide investigation
911 call reveals final moments of Arcadia shooting victim
Suspect in Arcadia double murder held without bond