On the evening of November 11, 2018, 32-year-old Sonny Cunningham, a Black male, was tragically shot and killed in Umatilla, Florida. The incident occurred as Sonny and his mother, Freda Cunningham, were getting into their car parked on Henry Street. They were suddenly ambushed by a hail of bullets. Sonny, a father of twin girls, was pronounced dead at the scene when Lake County sheriff's deputies arrived around 8:30 p.m.
His mother, Freda, was critically injured and airlifted to Central Florida Regional Hospital in Sanford, where she fortunately survived but was unable to provide any useful information to the investigators due to the darkness and the suddenness of the attack.
Investigators believe there were at least two shooters involved, as evidenced by the shell casings from two different caliber guns found at the scene. Despite having some leads, including a person of interest, the case remains unsolved. The person of interest, Darius Kendal Austin, a 37-year-old Black male, was himself a victim of homicide less than a month later on December 1, 2018. Austin was found bleeding from gunshot wounds on a sidewalk in Eustis, Florida, and was pronounced dead at Advent Health Waterman.
Both Sonny Cunningham and Darius Kendal Austin had criminal histories. Sonny's criminal record included charges dating back to 2005, primarily involving drug dealing. He had been charged with possession and sale of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a worship center in 2012 and had served time in prison for various offenses, including fleeing and eluding, driving without a license, and carrying a concealed weapon. Austin also had a history of drug-related charges and had been arrested in July 2017 for possession of cocaine, destruction of evidence, and resisting arrest without violence.
The investigation into Sonny Cunningham's murder has faced significant challenges. Freda Cunningham, despite surviving the attack, could not provide any descriptions of the assailants. The investigators have not ruled out the possibility of the shooting being drug-related, given the backgrounds of both Sonny and Austin. However, no concrete evidence has been found to confirm this theory. The Lake County Sheriff's Office continues to seek information from the public to solve this case, urging anyone with information to come forward.
