Bullet narrowly misses Leesburg resident; deputies investigate late-night shooting

LEESBURG — A Leesburg resident is crediting a rapid law enforcement response — and what she described as her “guardian angels” — after a bullet tore through her home on a recent Sunday night, narrowly missing her as she sat in her living room.

Laural Mixon, who said she has lived in the neighborhood for about 10 years, described the area as typically quiet.

“Nothing ever happens here,” she said. But that all changed in a few short seconds. 

Mixon said she was inside her home on Winifred Road around 11:15 p.m. when she heard what she initially believed were fireworks.

Moments later, a bullet crashed through her living room window, passing through a wall less than 12 inches above her head, traveling into her bedroom and ricocheting into another wall in a spare room.

“Had I been standing up or walking around, I could have very well been hit,” Mixon said.

Deputies with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded in less than five minutes, Mixon said, and began canvassing the area. Investigators later recovered the bullets from inside the home and located six shell casings across the street.

Authorities said there is no indication the home was specifically targeted, and the case remains under investigation.

Mixon said she does not believe she was the intended target and described the shooting as random, noting it “could have happened anywhere.”

She said neighbors and friends urged her to leave the home following the incident, but she chose to stay, describing herself as “too stubborn” to be run out by something she believes was not directed at her.

Mixon reported seeing a light-colored sedan leaving the area at the time of the shooting, traveling north on Winifred Road toward the Quail Pines and Oakland area. Due to limited lighting and a lack of nearby camera footage, no detailed description of the vehicle has been confirmed.

While no injuries were reported, Mixon said the emotional impact has lingered in the days since.

“Every day since has been a struggle,” she said, adding that she is “just thankful to still be here.”

She said investigators told her that if suspects are identified, potential charges could include aggravated assault and possibly attempted murder — a possibility she described as “crazy to think” could be connected to her name. Mixon, who rents the home, said repairs will be handled by her landlord, though the experience has underscored how quickly the situation could have turned more serious.

“It really could have been so different,” she said.

Mixon is urging anyone who may have seen or heard anything — or who may have surveillance footage from the area around the time of the incident — to come forward.

“Please share,” she said. “You never know who knows something.”

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.