Police say the man fired first as officers handled a separate disturbance call.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — State investigators are reviewing a fatal police shooting that erupted during a weekend disturbance call in Fort Lauderdale, where officers said an armed man approached them and fired before three officers shot him. The man later died at a hospital, and no officers were hurt.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is leading the investigation, a standard step in officer-involved shootings in Florida. Fort Lauderdale Police Chief William Schultz said the armed man was not part of the original call and that the shooting happened as officers were already on scene in the Lauderdale Manors area. The officers involved were placed on administrative leave with pay while the outside investigation and an internal review move forward.
Police said officers were sent to the area around 12:30 p.m. Saturday after a report of a disturbance near Chateau Park Drive and Northwest 9th Avenue. Witnesses described an argument that began between two people in the neighborhood, and neighbors later shared security footage that appeared to show vehicles stopped along the street as people argued. Schultz said that while officers were dealing with that call, an adult man who was armed walked up to them. “We know the suspect fired his weapon during the encounter with the officers,” Schultz said during a news briefing. “Three Fort Lauderdale Police Department officers discharged their department-issued firearms,” he said, striking the man.
After the gunfire, Schultz said officers tried to save the man’s life until Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue arrived. The man was taken to Broward Health Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said. Officers were not injured, and police said no other injuries were reported. By Tuesday, police identified the man as 43-year-old Luis Felipe Londono Ospina. Investigators have not publicly described what kind of gun he had, how many shots were fired, or how close the man was to officers when the exchange began.
The shooting scene drew a heavy police presence, with crime scene tape and a mobile command vehicle near the street. Photos and video from the area showed evidence markers placed on the grass near the roadway as investigators documented where bullets and other items were found. A neighbor who heard the gunfire told a local TV station it sounded like a rapid exchange, describing a series of pops followed by what she believed was a larger burst of shots. Another nearby camera, including a doorbell-style device, captured activity on the street around the time police focused their investigation, showing a vehicle maneuvering as a man in a light-colored top appeared to speak with the driver.
Police have not confirmed whether people seen in the neighborhood videos were connected to the shooting, the original disturbance call, or neither. Officials also have not said whether the man who was killed arrived on foot or by vehicle, or whether he had any connection to the people involved in the earlier argument. Authorities have described the armed man as separate from the initial dispute, but they have not released details about what the disturbance call involved, whether any arrests were made related to it, or whether there were prior calls for service at the same location.
Investigators also have not said whether officers were wearing body cameras, whether any body camera footage exists, or when video might be released. In many officer-involved cases, agencies review footage and radio traffic and collect statements from officers and witnesses before making video public. Police have not provided the names or years of service of the three officers who fired. Schultz said the department’s leave policy is triggered whenever an officer discharges a weapon, and he emphasized that the outside agency will handle the primary fact-finding.
FDLE’s role is to conduct an independent review of evidence, including firearms testing, scene measurements, interviews, and any available video. When that work is complete, FDLE typically submits findings to the local state attorney’s office to review whether any charges are warranted under Florida law. Separately, Fort Lauderdale police can conduct an internal review to determine whether officers followed department policies and training. Officials have not provided a public timeline for when FDLE expects to complete its investigation, and they have not announced any scheduled public hearing or additional briefing date.
The case is the latest in a series of officer-involved shootings in South Florida that have drawn close scrutiny from residents and local leaders, especially when the people involved were not initially the focus of a police call. Community members in Lauderdale Manors said the shooting left them shaken, with some describing the sound of gunfire as unusually intense for midday. Others said the street was crowded with patrol cars soon after the shots, and they watched investigators work behind tape as officers redirected traffic around the block.
In the days after the shooting, neighbors continued to trade details about what they saw and heard, while police urged patience as the investigation proceeds. Schultz said there was no ongoing threat to the public after the man was shot. Even so, residents said the uncertainty about how the armed man came to the scene and why he confronted officers has fueled anxiety in the neighborhood. Police have not said whether the man had prior contact with officers that day, whether he made any statements before firing, or whether he was believed to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
As of Tuesday, FDLE remained in charge of the investigation, and the three officers involved were still on administrative leave with pay, police said. Authorities said the next major milestone will be completion of the state investigative report, which will be forwarded for prosecutorial review, before the police department finishes its internal findings.
Author note: Last updated February 17, 2026.