SARASOTA, Fla. — A North Port man has been convicted of second-degree murder with a firearm in connection with a 2025 shooting that left another man dead, according to the State Attorney's Office for the 12th Judicial Circuit.
A Sarasota County jury found Michael David Reinel guilty following a three-day trial that concluded Wednesday. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
The case stems from a shooting around 9 p.m. Feb. 6, 2025, at a home in North Port.
According to prosecutors, two people inside the home called 911 after an argument between Reinel and the victim ended in gunfire.
North Port police officers arrived and found the victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in the living room. Officers and emergency crews attempted life-saving measures, but the victim was pronounced dead about an hour after the initial 911 call.
Investigators determined the victim had been shot five times with a .357-caliber revolver. The gun, which held five rounds, was later found in Reinel's bedroom, prosecutors said.
The State Attorney's Office said an autopsy determined two of the five gunshot wounds entered the victim's back.
Investigators also recovered a projectile from the victim that was later matched to the revolver. According to prosecutors, Florida Department of Law Enforcement testing found Reinel's DNA was the only DNA detected on the firearm.
Reinel testified during the trial that he acted in self-defense. The jury rejected that argument and convicted him of second-degree murder with a firearm, according to a news release.
A sentencing date is pending.
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