NORTH LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A Florida woman who fatally shot a man after a confrontation that began over a Walmart parking space will not face criminal charges, with Broward County prosecutors concluding that Florida’s Stand Your Ground law protects her from prosecution.
The June 30 Florida Walmart parking lot shooting killed 62-year-old Bart DiGuglielmo of Lauderhill outside the store at 7900 W. McNab Road in North Lauderdale.
What began as competition for a parking space escalated into threats, repeated warnings and, ultimately, a single gunshot, according to prosecutors and video evidence reviewed during the investigation.
“A dispute over a parking space. In a Walmart parking lot,” Broward State Attorney’s Office Homicide Trial Unit Division Chief Stephen Zaccor wrote in a closeout memo, according to ABC News’ report on the memo.
“The facts surrounding the June 30, 2026, homicide of Bart DiGuglielmo are as tragic as they are absurd,” Zaccor wrote.
Video captured the confrontation from several angles
The confrontation was recorded by multiple devices, including cellphones and a Tesla, prosecutors said.
According to the memo, Melissa Payne was traveling with her niece and her niece’s baby when Payne and DiGuglielmo attempted to pull into the same parking space.
Prosecutors described what followed as a “brief stalemate.”
DiGuglielmo eventually left his Kia SUV in a travel lane and walked into Walmart while Payne parked in the disputed space, according to the memo.
About 90 seconds later, DiGuglielmo returned. Two witnesses reported hearing him threaten Payne’s property before he drove away at a high rate of speed, parked roughly two aisles away and later walked back toward her vehicle.
Witnesses described him as visibly angry, according to prosecutors.
Payne then got out of her vehicle with a phone in one hand and a gun in the other.
According to Local 10’s reporting on the State Attorney’s decision, Payne repeatedly warned DiGuglielmo not to approach her.
“If you keep coming up to me, I’m going to f***ing shoot you!” Payne said, according to a witness quoted in the prosecutor’s memo.
Another witness yelled, “It’s not worth it!”
Prosecutors said DiGuglielmo initially moved back but then continued toward Payne as she backed away. She eventually fired once, striking him in the abdomen.
DiGuglielmo was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office initially said the woman remained at the scene, cooperated with detectives and told investigators she had acted in self-defense.
Why prosecutors say Florida law blocks charges
The State Attorney’s Office concluded that Payne was legally allowed to be in the Walmart parking lot, was not engaged in criminal activity and could stand her ground if she reasonably believed deadly force was necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm.
Under Florida Statute 776.012, a person who is lawfully present and not engaged in criminal activity has no duty to retreat before using deadly force when the person reasonably believes it is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm.
A related provision, Florida Statute 776.032, provides immunity from criminal prosecution when the use of force is legally justified.
The prosecutor’s conclusion did not amount to a finding that Payne handled the confrontation well.
According to CBS Miami, the closeout memo specifically noted that the video did not establish that Payne “was in the right.” Instead, prosecutors concluded there was not enough evidence to overcome her assertion that she reasonably feared serious harm.
The video showed Payne moving away from DiGuglielmo for roughly 90 seconds as he continued toward her, CBS Miami reported.
DiGuglielmo’s family disputes the decision
DiGuglielmo’s family has challenged the conclusion that the shooting was justified.
Melissa Rodriguez, an attorney representing his daughter, told Local 10 that the family was disappointed prosecutors would not pursue charges.
“We have maintained that the situation did not warrant stand your ground immunity,” Rodriguez said.
DiGuglielmo’s daughter previously described her father as a longtime emergency-room trauma nurse, Army veteran, father and grandfather.
The State Attorney’s decision closes the criminal review without charges against Payne, turning a confrontation over an ordinary Walmart parking space into another high-profile example of how Florida’s self-defense laws can determine whether a deadly shooting results in prosecution.
