Ocoee High student shot to death in mistaken identity

A 32-year-old man and his wife heard what they believed to be an intruder around 11:30 p.m. June 5, while they had been sleeping in their High Lake Drive home in Pine Hills, Orange County Sheriff's Office Lt. Mark Conner said.

The woman called 911 while the man went to investigate with his semi-automatic handgun; he found a person standing in the kitchen and shot him, Conner said.

Then the man realized it was his 16-year-old brother he had been housing, Leonard Stay -- a wrestler, track runner and chorus member for Ocoee High School -- and began performing CPR, Conner said.

Orange County Fire Rescue personnel transported Stay to Florida Hospital Orlando, where staff pronounced him dead at 12:27 a.m. June 6.

"Our family is grieving and respectfully requests privacy at this time," a family representative said.

The wrestling team's Facebook page paid tribute to Stay and called him a positive, uplifting leader in his short time with the team.

A GoFundMe campaign for Stay has begun at gofundme.com/LeoStay.

Contact Zak Kerr at [email protected].