Woman Won't Face Charges in Fatal Parking Spot Dispute

Florida's 'stand your ground' law protects her after Walmart shooting

By John Johnson

Posted Sep 4, 2026 1:23 PM CDT

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Woman Won't Face Charges in Fatal Parking Spot Dispute — (Getty/carlballou)

A fatal clash over a Walmart parking spot in Florida will not lead to criminal charges. The Broward County State Attorney's Office concluded that Melissa Payne, who shot and killed 62-year-old Bart DiGuglielmo on June 30 in North Lauderdale, is protected from prosecution under the state's "stand your ground" law, reports ABC News. A memo from the office says multiple videos—including cellphone and Tesla footage—captured the confrontation, leaving "relatively no dispute" about what unfolded.

According to prosecutors, Payne and DiGuglielmo both tried to pull into the same space, leading to the dispute. Witnesses say DiGuglielmo threatened Payne and moved toward her while "visibly angry" even as she held a firearm and explicitly warned that she would shoot if he didn't back off, per NBC Miami. Payne "had the right to stand her ground if she was in reasonable fear of death or great bodily harm," says the memo, adding that officials can't prove her fear was unreasonable.

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