Port Charlotte, FL – Deputies in Charlotte County have arrested a 25-year-old man accused of fatally shooting his father during a confrontation about work, rent responsibilities, and military paperwork. According to investigators, the incident unfolded Monday outside the family’s Port Charlotte home, roughly 95 miles south of Tampa.
Incident Overview
Authorities said Melquan Stewart is charged with murder after admitting he shot his father, Glenn Stewart, following mounting tension over employment and financial expectations. Court documents state that the father had been paying his son’s rent for the past four months and wanted proof that his son was working on necessary military-related documentation.
Deputies said the father arrived at the residence and remained in the driver’s seat of his Volkswagen Taos SUV, where a conversation began that quickly escalated. This exchange is outlined in a probable cause affidavit referenced by local outlets.
Details From the Affidavit
According to the affidavit, the defendant placed a bag in the rear passenger seat before hearing what he described as “voices” telling him to shoot his father. He admitted to deputies that he had heard such voices before, but this was the first time he acted on them.
Investigators said Stewart fired multiple rounds through the rolled-down front passenger window using a Ruger LC9 handgun. As the shots were fired, Glenn Stewart attempted to reverse the SUV to escape. Officers wrote that the son then ran to the vehicle, pulled his father onto the driveway, and fired one more round…