BREAKING: Orlando Police: Suspect armed with Ak-47-style assault rifle shot & killed in gunfire exchange at strip mall

Tattoo gunfire in Orlando / Headline SurferPhotos for Headline Surfer / TOP: A man armed with an assault rifle was shot and killed on Friday, Nov. 14, after exchanging gunfire with Orlando police outside a strip mall on Edgewater Drive, Orlando, Florida. It remains unclear if he was killed by cops or by his own hand. Orlando Police Chief Eric D. Smith, shown in this screenshot, gave an update on the deadly encounter (see video below).  LEFT: The fatal shooting occurred at the Edgewater Shopping Center, 4864 Edgewater Drive near Lee Road, at the nameless tattoo shop there, while police were executing a search warrant involving multiple suspects related to alleged illegal drug and firearms activity at the tattoo shop.

By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A man armed with an assault rifle was shot and killed earlier today after exchanging gunfire with cops during the attempted execution of a search warrant at a tattoo shop in a strip mall.

The suspect was armed with an AK-47-style assault rifle, having exchanged gunfire with cops at the tattoo shop located at 4864 Edgewater Drive near Lee Road, Orlando police said. 

It was not immediately clear if the gunman was shot and killed by cops or by his own hand.

At approximately 2 p.m., OPD SWAT served a search warrant related to drugs and firearms at a tattoo shop, involving multiple suspects. Their criminal histories include burglary, robbery with a firearm, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, sex offenses, drug offenses, auto theft, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Here is a synopsis of what occurred as described by OPD: Around 2:05 p.m., officers saw a man flee the tattoo shop armed with an AK-47-style rifle. Officers fired at the suspect, who fled back into the business. Approximately one hour later, OPD SWAT made entry into the business and located one suspect who was deceased.

Here is a synopsis of what occurred as described by OPD: Around 2:05 p.m., officers saw a man flee the tattoo shop armed with an AK-47-style rifle. Officers fired at the suspect, who fled back into the business. Approximately one hour later, OPD SWAT made entry into the business and located one suspect who was deceased.

The officers involved in this shooting were not injured and have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure. As with all officer-involved shootings, FDLE will conduct an independent review of the incident, followed by the State Attorney’s office, an Orlando Police press release stated.

There were multiple suspects connected to the search warrant and apprehended, the police department said, but no names were released. 

This is an ongoing investigation that remains active, Orlando police stressed in the release, adding, "This is all the information we are able to share at this time."

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Headline Surfer Facebook download / Orlando Police video / Friday, Nov. 14, 2025 / Orlando police Chief Eric D. Smith gives an update on an officer-involved shooting of an armed suspect with an AK-47 asault-style ricle who exchanged gunfire with police at a tattoo shop. 
Henry Frederick press card / Headline SurferAbout the Byline Writer: 
Henry Frederick is an award-winning journalist who launched Headline Surfer in 2008. The site serves the greater Daytona Beach, Sanford, and Orlando areas along the I-4 corridor and beyond via HeadlineSurfer.com in Lake Mary, Florida. Frederick earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism from Full Sail University in Orlando in 2019. He was a breaking news reporter (metro cops & courts beat) for the Daytona Beach News-Journal for nearly a decade, and before that, the same beat with The Journal-News/Gannett Suburban Newspapers in Rockland/Westchester counties, NY, dating back to 1989. He's also worked as a city editor and city hall reporter for two dailies. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and covering other high-profile cases, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary shows on Discovery ID, Reelz & the Oxygen Network series "Snapped" for his analysis. Assisting Henry Frederick with Headline Surfer is Sera King, who writes about the weather and feature stories, takes photos, shoots video, and occasionally draws editorial cartoons. •  Bio: https://henryfrederick.com/.