The Lakeland Police Department is trying to determine what caused a 64-year-old man to shoot his neighbor Friday evening.

  • Lakeland man, 64, accused of shooting neighbor
  • Engaged in standoff with law enforcement Friday
  • Police encountered man earlier in the week

The incident happened at about 10:38 p.m. in the Pine Grove Mobile Home Park, off of New Tampa Highway in Lakeland. It led to the SWAT team being called because officers couldn’t get the shooter to come out of his mobile home.

The suspect, Robert Van den Bosch was eventually taken into custody.

Investigators said the Van den Bosch's neighbor, 54-year-old Morris Parker was in critical condition Saturday, but is expected to survive.

Bonnie Adams, who works at the Citgo gas station across the street, said she was smoking a cigarette when she saw the shooting happen near a dumpster.

“I heard somebody yell ‘Can you hold that open for me," Adams said. "Then I looked over and it was like two seconds, he just shot him. I looked over. He grabbed his stomach and said, 'why the hell would you do that.' And the guy that shot him walked into the trailer park, shot the gun off again. I asked him did he just shoot you but he didn’t answer me.”

Adams then called 911.

“I was scared,” Adams said.


A Lakeland man is accused of shooting one of his neighbors at the Grove Mobile Home Park. (Stephanie Claytor, staff)

The SWAT team then arrived and the neighborhood was taped off. Neighbors described being escorted out of their mobile homes with a shield. Officers said Van Den Bosch refused to come out of his mobile home until they released tear gas inside.

Neighbor Connie Horlings said Van den Bosch used to be a nice person until lately.

“You just hear him hollering from his trailer. Like I said, I think he snapped,” said Horlings.

On Van den Bosch’s door, there’s signs that say “beware mad dog” and “some of the scum you have living here will steal my goods.” Another typed message on his door said, “ I don’t want to see your ugly face or hear your ugly voice. You stole my dad from my mom, made my dad’s life miserable, and killed him. And stole my inheritance.”

This wasn’t the first time the SWAT team came to the mobile home park for Van den Bosch. On Tuesday, officers were called out after Van den Bosch reportedly pointed a gun at a man and made threatening comments.

Police said he refused to leave his mobile home. Detectives interviewed witnesses and learned there were two arguments between the two men early in the morning and the second argument allegedly led to Van den Bosch pointing his gun from inside his home.  After interviewing the victim, Lakeland Police decided not to arrest anyone. In a news release, investigators said the requirements hadn’t been met to file an aggravated assault charge nor to Baker Act Van den Bosch.

Neighbors disagreed with that decision and said Van den Bosch should’ve been taken into custody then.

“They should’ve you know noticed that something was wrong with him and have him evaluated or something because he was still threatening people then.”

Van den Bosch is now charged with attempted murder and resisting arrest without violence.