WINTER GARDEN, Fla. -- A man faces six charges for the solo shootout that happened at his Winter Garden home Monday morning.
Police said Joseph Solis, 31, shot up his own house and killed a family pet while high on cocaine. Police said, thankfully, the drug-induced gun battle happened before kids and neighbors headed off to school and work.
Solis did not want to comment about firing off 23 rounds from his bedroom at an imaginary intruder.
"He was telling us, and his girlfriend was telling us, the bad guy was inside his house with weapons and was shooting. He killed them all in his room, and this big battle took place back and forth," Winter Garden Police Sgt. Keith Ralston said.
It took police more than 24 hours to check evidence and make sure there really wasn't another shooter inside before making the arrest. Police said Solis' girlfriend appeared to be on drugs as well, and did say she heard another person in the home, but hid in a closet when the bullets started flying.
"Thank goodness she stayed down so there wasn't a person killed," Ralston said. "Had she been up and moving, she could have been thought of as a bad guy."
The incident alarmed neighbors.
"Someone could have really gotten hurt, some innocent victims," neighbor Mike Blodgett said.
Solis did kill one victim, his dog.
"In his words, the dog got into the crossfire. There was no crossfire. It was his own," Ralston said. "The animal obviously got spooked at the time, jumped, and ended up getting shot. Hopefully, he comes to the realization of what he's seen, what he's done, go into jail and get the help he needs with the weapon or drugs."
Solis' concealed-weapons permit has been revoked. He is in the Orange County jail on $3,000 bond.
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