Man shot to death in Bradenton

MANATEE -- An exchange of gunfire early Saturday morning at the site of backyard bar known to neighbors for its illegal activities, left one man dead and another injured.

At 5:55 a.m., deputies responded to the 3600 block of Ninth Street East in Manatee County after receiving several reports of shots being fired.

Samuel Conde, 25, was found lying in a driveway and was taken to Manatee Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to the Manatee Sheriff's Office.

Deputies reported that witnesses had told them the victim had been involved in an confrontation with another, unknown subject.

A second gunshot victim, a 29-year-old man, presented himself at a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries, according to sheriff's office spokesman Dave Bristow.

He was treated and released later Saturday, according to the sheriff's office.

Detectives are unclear of the motive behind the shooting.

Conde had a criminal history and a gang affiliation, according to Florida Department of Corrections records.

In August 2012, he was released from prison after serving four years and five months of a four-year-nine-month sentence for acquiring property through racketeering and conspiracy to avoid racketeering convictions.

Since his release from prison, he had been arrested for charges of possession of weapons or ammunition by a convicted felon and possession of more than 20 grams of cannabis, according to Manatee County Sheriff's Office arrest records.

The second victim also had a criminal history that included arrests for charges of possession of a controlled substance, driving with a suspended license, battery on an law enforcement officer and resisting arrest with violence.

Neighbor Woody Punch said he was was ripped from his sleep Saturday.

"They woke me up out of a sound, dead sleep with this nonsense," Punch said.

At 5:56 a.m., he said he was on the teelphone, calling 911. This wasn't a first he'd reported a disturbance, he said, so he knew to drop to the floor as soon as he heard at least 14 shots.

During the exchange, Punch said he heard voices yelling something like, "No! Don't!" or "Stop!"

A backyard bar on the property where the gunfire was exchanged has been the scene of parties and trouble at all hours of the night, he said.

"It's a nuisance to the neighborhood," Punch said. "Four or five times in the last 10 days there have been shots fired. Now there's been a murder."

A resident of the neighborhood for 11 years, Punch said the bar had been there since before he had moved nearby.

"I have called numerous times about the loud music and gunshots," he added. "It's time for it to go."

Another neighbor, who did not wish be named for fear for her family's safety, said she was startled by the shots, followed by the screams of women, she said in Spanish.

It sounded like three different kinds of gunshots, her daughter-in-law added.

The family gathered the children to the far side of their home, away from where the gunshots were being heard, she said. It wasn't the first time she had heard gunshots, the woman said, but she knew it was more serious this time because she heard so much noise.

"Women were crying," she said.

She said her son was acquainted with the victim, and her family rushed over to see how they could help after calling 911.

"The bad thing was that the owner came out, saw the body, and went back inside and turned the lights off," her daughter-in-law said.

The backyard bar often has been a gathering place after local bars and nightclubs close, the mother added. Food and beer is sold, and gambling and prostitution are a regular occurrence, she said.

The sheriff's office was not aware of the illegal activities, Bristow said, until after detectives had spoken with neighbors.

Neighbor Odelia Ramos said she also was awakened by the commotion, she said in Spanish.

"We woke up running to see what's was going on," she said. "Thank God nothing happened here to us."

While she said she doesn't know who lives in the house on the property where gunfire was exchanged, she added that she has seen plenty of people coming and going.

"There's always cars coming in and out, speeding quickly," she said.

Multiple vehicles were taken from the crime scene by tow trucks. Crime-scene technicians and detectives located bullets lodged in the numerous vehicles parked on the property and casings on the driveway.

Anyone with information should call the sheriff's office at 941-747-3011 or Crime Stoppers at 866-634-TIPS,

This story was originally published December 21, 2014 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Man shot to death in Bradenton."