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Fatal Shooting in City of Archer

Caution tape hangs from a pole outside Joseph McGuire's home, where he fatally shot Latreese Monroe on March 26 at about 2 a.m. He resides at 15911 SW 133rd Lane in Archer, Fla.
Caution tape hangs from a pole outside Joseph McGuire's home, where he fatally shot Latreese Monroe on March 26 at about 2 a.m. He resides at 15911 SW 133rd Lane in Archer, Fla.

A fatal shooting occurred in the city of Archer at about 2 a.m. this morning.

Art Forgey, Alachua County Sherriff’s Office spokesman, said Joseph McGuire, fatally shot Latreese Monroe earlier this morning when she broke into his home on the 15000 block of Southwest 133rd Lane.

Forgey said Monroe kicked in the front door, leaving it in pieces.

McGuire fired one shot and called 911 himself to report the incident. He is cooperating with authorities and has yet to be charged, Forgey said. The sheriff’s office has the gun in their possession.

An officer who was on scene confirmed McGuire had no lights on in his home when the incident occurred, Forgey said. Forensics confirmed McGuire’s front door frame was broken.

Monroe was transported to the University of Florida Health Shands Hospital, where she later passed away from the gunshot wound to her torso, Forgey said.

In the past decade, Monroe has been in Alachua County’s jail nine times. Her charges include resisting arrest without violence, probation violations, fraud, aggravated assault, battery and providing a false identification, as well as driving without a valid license, Forgey said.

McGuire has no previous charges in Alachua County, Forgey said.

Neighbor Lauren Frazee, 24, heard the gunshot and said Monroe was screaming and cursing as she was loaded into the ambulance on a stretcher.

The relationship between Monroe and McGuire is currently unknown.

“It’s pretty scary,” Frazee said. “Things like this don’t happen out here a lot, so it’s frightened everybody.”

Neighbor Clarence Polke, 65, also said nothing like this has ever occurred in the area before. He and his wife have raised four kids in the area over the past 30 years. He was not home during the incident.

“We shouldn’t have this kind of foolishness in the neighborhood,” he said. “Most people here are average everyday working people.”

Polke said McGuire has been a good neighbor.

Resident Tabitha Joyner, 30, who lives across the street from the homeowner, said otherwise.

She has heard McGuire screaming in the street on multiple occasions, she said, but she is unsure if he was yelling at anyone in particular. She has never spoken to him directly.

Joyner said she moved to the neighborhood with her boyfriend and three children in October. She gave birth to her fourth child three weeks ago. Her oldest is 9.

She and her family keep to themselves, she said. She plans to keep her kids even closer in the future.

“It’s kind of crazy — living so close and having kids,” she said.

Forgey said it has yet to be determined whether the shooting was a homicide or self-defense.

Joyner said she and her boyfriend, like McGuire, own a gun. If McGuire shot Monroe out of self-defense, she supports him.

“I have kids, so at any means at all I will do whatever, whatever to protect them,” she said. “I mean, if he felt in fear for his life, then yeah, I agree with it.”

Shannon is a reporter for WUFT News who may be contacted by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news @wuft.org
Jen is a reporter who can be contacted by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news@wuft.org.