A Florida woman who shot and killed a man after a dispute over parking at a Walmart will walk free after prosecutors determined she was protected under the state’s Stand Your Ground Law.
Melissa Payne will not be charged in the murder of Bart DiGuglielmo, who was shot after a parking lot argument escalated into bloodshed in North Lauderdale.
“The facts surrounding the murder of Bart DiGuglielmo on June 30, 2026 are as tragic as they are absurd,” Stephen Zaccor, chief of the Broward County State Attorney’s Office’s homicide unit, wrote in his decision.
Prosecutors argued that Payne had a right to carry a gun because of the state’s open carry laws and that she was in a public place where she had a right to be. Attorneys also noted that she is not a convicted felon.
They added that video evidence showed DiGuglielmo had threatened her, and that prosecutors could not prove she was not in fear for her life if the case went to trial.
The bizarre sequence of events unfolded just after noon as Payne was driving her white Chevrolet Malibu with her niece and her niece’s daughter.
DiGuglielmo was alone in his white Kia SUV and both were trying to get the same parking spot.
He then left his car and walked into Walmart, so Payne parked in the open space.
Melissa Payne will not be charged in the shooting death of a man in a parking lot dispute after prosecutors determined she was protected under the state’s Stand Your Ground laws
Bart DiGuglielmo was shot in the parking lot of a Walmart in North Lauderdale on June 30, 2026
After about a minute, DiGuglielmo returned to the scene and told Payne, “I’m going to screw you over,” prosecutors said.
Two witnesses also reported that DiGuglielmo threatened that he would “mess up her car” before getting into his vehicle and fleeing at a high rate of speed.
He then parked in a nearby handicapped spot and smoked a cigarette.
Witnesses told investigators he appeared “visibly angry” and was shaking as he looked at Payne.
DiGuglielmo then confronted Payne, who exited her car with her phone in one hand and a gun in the other. Another witness said they yelled at Payne, “It’s not worth it!”
The witness said Payne told DiGuglielmo, “If you keep coming at me, I’m going to shoot you!”
Payne also warned DiGuglielmo, “Don’t come here!” “Don’t come near my car!” and “Don’t try that!”, prosecutors said, citing video evidence of the incident.
The two continued to keep their distance as DiGuglielmo followed Payne as she circled a nearby car.
DiGuglielmo was also seen gesticulating with keys in his hand, in what prosecutors said appeared to be a threatening move that he intended to damage Payne’s vehicle.
A dispute over a parking spot turned deadly when Melissa Payne shot Bart DiGuglielmo after an argument over a parking spot
Witnesses saw the shocking moments DiGuglielmo (red circle) confronted Payne after she parked in the space
Payne then fired her gun, hitting DiGuglielmo in the abdomen. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he later died.
His death was ruled a homicide by gunshot wound, according to the Medical Examiner’s Office.
Payne was arrested by the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. Her husband was later questioned by authorities and confirmed that he was on the phone with her when the murder occurred.
Her husband testified that Payne told him, “Bae, I shot. Call the police” before rushing to Walmart.
“The video doesn’t show that MP [Payne] was correct, rather it demonstrates that the State of Florida cannot undermine her claim that she had a reasonable fear of great bodily harm by clear and convincing evidence,” Zaccor wrote.
“Florida is a Stand Your Ground state. MP did not have to wait to be attacked before resorting to lethal force.
“She did not have to withdraw as long as her fear was reasonable and no evidence was presented to refute it.”
DiGuglielmo’s sister told the story CBS News in June that the loss of her brother, a decorated military veteran who served in Desert Storm, was devastating.
The two had a tense confrontation while Payne was on the phone with her husband and had a firearm in hand
DiGuglielmo died of his injuries at Broward Health Medical Center
“He was a Christian man and a very good person and wouldn’t hurt anyone,” she said.
His daughter, Amanda Marie DiGuglielmo, shared one GoFundMe on Facebook to raise money for legal fees after his death.
“My father was a 62-year-old veteran who proudly served our country for 20 years, including during Desert Storm and Desert Shield,” she wrote.
“After his military service, he dedicated another twenty years of his life as an emergency room trauma nurse, caring for vulnerable patients during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
“He spent his life serving others: his country, his patients, his family and the people around him.
“He dedicated decades to helping and protecting others, and he deserved to have someone advocate for him when he could no longer advocate for himself.”
A online petition was also launched to push the Broward County Sheriff’s Office and the State Attorney’s Office to provide more transparency in the case and release all related documents.
The petition also called on officials in Florida to set a transparency standard in similar cases and conduct independent reviews of similar cases.
DiGuglielmo worked as a nurse for 30 years and was a veteran. He served in the Desert Storm and Desert Shield stakes for 20 years, according to his family
The veteran’s daughter, Amanda Marie, has advocated online for law enforcement transparency in her father’s case
“A veteran was murdered in his own country, in a public parking lot, after a dispute that should never have ended in death,” the petition read.
Melissa Rodriguez, an attorney for the family, said NBC6 South Florida that they were “disappointed” that Payne would not face charges.
The Daily Mail has reached out to DiGuglielmo’s family and their legal representation for comment. Payne could not be reached for comment.
