Dominic Bland, 31, has been indicted on a first-degree murder charge by a grand jury in Brevard County.
Bland is accused of fatally shooting his mother’s boyfriend, Carl Wigfall, 56, during an argument on the morning of April 24.
According to an eyewitness account reported to the police, Bland shot Wigfall twice while he was seated, then proceeded to push him off the chair, standing over him and shooting him multiple times more. Bland reportedly stated, “See what happens!” or something to that effect, at the scene of the shooting
The incident took place at a home along Palmetto Avenue in Titusville. Local police officers were alerted by a caller who reported hearing gunshots and screaming from downstairs. Upon arrival, officers found Wigfall with apparent gunshot wounds to his hand, shoulders, and face, lying behind a couch in a pool of blood. Wigfall was pronounced dead at the scene
According to an arrest affidavit, Bland may have been motivated to commit this act due to ongoing instances of domestic violence between Wigfall and Bland’s mother. Wigfall had previously been arrested in November on accusations of hitting his girlfriend with a chair and threatening her with a knife, but the charges were later dropped. Sgt. Bryan Nelson of the Titusville Police Department confirmed that there were previous disputes at the residence
Eyewitness testimony further reveals that after the shooting, Bland allegedly fled the scene in a Jeep. When the eyewitness asked Bland why he had shot Wigfall, Bland reportedly did not respond and merely stared back. A 911 call audio released by the police includes a woman telling the operator, “My man’s dead.” The eyewitness, when shown a picture of Bland to confirm his identity, reportedly began crying and asking why Bland had killed Wigfall
Two days after the shooting, Bland was taken into custody following a traffic stop around 2 p.m. He reportedly tried to escape but was unsuccessful. Judge Kelly Ingram has described Bland as a danger to the community, and Sgt. Bryan Nelson referred to the crime as “heinous, malicious, and violent”
This case serves as a stark reminder of the impact of domestic violence and its potential escalation to more severe outcomes and the importance of addressing and intervening in situations of domestic violence to prevent such tragic incidents.
Author: SpaceCoast Mike
Raised on the Space Coast, I want to keep North Brevard informed of what's happening. Send Tips / Story Ideas to TitusvilleMedia@gmail.com