KEY LARGO, Fla. – An Alabama man was shot by his co-worker Thursday night in the Florida Keys after the victim threatened him with a knife earlier in the day, Monroe County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Becky Herrin said.
Michael Sproul, 48, and Jerome Gant, 53, got into a confrontation hours before the shooting, Gant and his co-workers told deputies. They said Sproul pulled a knife, threatened Gant and hit him in the face.
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After they finished working, Sproul followed Gant to the trailer where they were all staying in Key Largo and threatened him again, Herrin said.
At that point, Gant armed himself with a gun that belonged to another man, Herrin said.
Just before 7:30 p.m., Sproul confronted Gant again, this time armed with what looked like a rifle but turned out to be a pellet gun, Herrin said.
Sproul pointed it at Gant, who shot Sproul twice after ordering him to drop the rifle. Sproul was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center in Miami, where he was listed in stable condition.
After interviewing Gant and witnesses, Gant was not arrested.
The investigation is ongoing.