The victim survived after being shot multiple times while working door to door, officials said.
BRANDON, Fla. — Deputies in Hillsborough County arrested a 38-year-old man after they say he shot a door-to-door solicitor multiple times in a Brandon-area townhome community on Feb. 18, 2026, then later emerged from his residence armed as law enforcement arrived to investigate the reported gunfire.
The arrest capped a fast-moving response to a shooting call in a residential neighborhood, where investigators say a work-related interaction spiraled into violence. Sheriff’s officials said the victim’s injuries were not life-threatening, but they described the suspect’s actions as a choice to escalate a disagreement into gunfire, leading to attempted murder and other felony charges.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said its 911 dispatch center received a call at about 8 p.m. reporting a shooting in the area of Fluorshire Drive at Providence Townhomes. Deputies who arrived found a male victim with multiple gunshot wounds to his lower body, the agency said. Deputies rendered aid and the victim was transported to a local hospital. Authorities did not release the victim’s name or age in the initial public account.
Detectives said the victim was working with a female co-worker, and the two were going door to door selling telecommunication products and services. Investigators said the suspect, Reginald McGee, became verbally aggressive toward the woman. As the pair began to walk away, detectives said McGee attacked the male worker. During the attack, authorities said, McGee reached into his waistband, pulled out a firearm and started shooting at the victim.
The sheriff’s office said the victim ran as shots were fired, and detectives concluded that McGee chased him and continued shooting until he ran out of ammunition. That allegation adds a critical detail likely to shape how prosecutors frame the case, because pursuit and continued firing can be used to argue intent and to counter claims that a single shot was accidental or fired only to frighten. Investigators did not provide a public estimate of the distance of the chase or how long it lasted.
After the gunfire, deputies said McGee returned to his residence. When deputies arrived in the neighborhood, the sheriff’s office said, he exited the home armed with a firearm and was taken into custody. No deputies were reported injured in the arrest, and officials did not describe any further confrontation beyond stating he was armed when he came outside.
McGee was charged with attempted second-degree murder with a firearm with great bodily harm, aggravated battery with great bodily harm or a deadly weapon with a firearm, and discharging a firearm in public or on residential property, the sheriff’s office said. Those accusations reflect both the shooting itself and the location where it happened, in a community where neighbors live close together and gunfire can endanger bystanders inside homes, on sidewalks or in shared courtyards.
Sheriff Chad Chronister, in a statement released by his office, said the shooting was a needless escalation that seriously injured someone who was working. “This was a completely unnecessary escalation that left a man seriously injured simply for doing his job,” Chronister said. He said deputies moved quickly to take the suspect into custody, which he said gave residents peace of mind and prevented further harm.
Investigators did not say whether the co-worker who was with the victim was physically injured, and they did not detail what led to the suspect’s verbal aggression. They also did not say whether McGee knew the workers or had interacted with solicitors previously. In cases involving door-to-door sales, detectives often look at neighborhood camera footage, any company documentation showing where workers were assigned to visit, and witness accounts from residents who may have heard shouting or gunshots.
The sheriff’s office did not release a probable cause affidavit with its public summary, and it has not publicly listed any recovered evidence, such as shell casings, the firearm, or surveillance video. Those details often become part of court filings, where prosecutors outline what supports the charges and defense attorneys begin challenging the timeline, identification, and claims about the suspect’s intent. The sheriff’s office said future updates would come through its Public Affairs Office.
Providence Townhomes is in the Brandon area of Hillsborough County, east of Tampa, where many residential developments have shared walkways and common areas. Residents said the setting made the gunfire especially frightening because sound carries between closely spaced buildings, and because pedestrians often move through the same corridors where the shooting was reported. Some neighbors said the incident left them shaken even after the arrest, as they tried to understand how a routine sales stop ended with a person being chased and shot.
Authorities have not publicly announced a timeline for prosecution decisions beyond the arrest and initial charges. McGee’s first court dates and whether he would be held without bond were not included in the sheriff’s office release. Prosecutors typically review the investigative file, medical records, and witness statements before filing formal charges in court, and the defense may seek early hearings about bond and the conditions of release.
As of Feb. 21, 2026, the sheriff’s office said the victim’s injuries were not life-threatening and the suspect had been taken into custody. The next major step is expected to be court proceedings that set dates and determine pretrial conditions, while investigators continue collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses about the moments leading up to the shots.
Author note: Last updated February 21, 2026.