Man shot to death on East Bradenton street

BRADENTON -- A 38-year-old man was shot to death Tuesday afternoon in Bradenton, according to Bradenton police.

The victim was identified as Karl John Tuxford, police said. Investigators said they did not have a possible motive for the slaying.

It is the first homicide of the year in the city of Bradenton, and the fifth in Manatee County.

Capt. William Fowler said the shooting happened about 12:50 p.m., near the intersection of Eighth Street East and 12th Avenue East.

Police arrived at the scene to find Tuxford's body hanging out of the driver's side of a grey Jeep, which had struck a fence and some plants before coming to rest in the middle of Eighth Street East, Fowler said. Police were not sure if Tuxford lived in the area.

A witness told police they believed the shooter drove away in a dark SUV, but no other description of a suspect was available.

A neighbor who declined to give his name said he heard three or four shots from his home and came out to see the man's body in the street.

Michael Welch, who has lived in the area since 1998, said he's seen plenty of crime in the area but had never seen a homicide before.

"The neighborhood has gone to the dogs," Welch said. "But I haven't seen anyone get shot before. It's all about the dope around here."

This story was originally published January 19, 2016 at 5:39 PM with the headline "Man shot to death on East Bradenton street ."