By Tori Walker
The Ledger
LAKELAND, Fla. — More details of the events leading to the death of Clifford Owen Cofer II have been released by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Caleb J. McKinney faces a first-degree murder charge in the fatal shooting of Cofer, a lieutenant at Sumter County Fire Rescue.
McKinney, 31, of 202 Alderman Road in Lakeland, also faces charges of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault with a firearm-domestic violence and shooting into an occupied conveyance.
He is being held in the Polk County Jail on no bond, said Donna Wood, Polk County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman.
McKinney, who admitted to the killing when telling deputies he “just lost it,” became enraged Wednesday when his 27-year-old ex-girlfriend, Kayla Stayner, told him that Cofer was coming with her to deliver medicine to McKinney’s home for their young son, reports said.
Stayner and McKinney ended their 3 1/2 year relationship about four months ago and Stayner recently began a new relationship with Cofer, 27.
Apparently distraught over the breakup, McKinney was held under the Baker Act on July 2 after threatening to harm himself and attempting to overdose on pills, reports said.
Before Stayner and Cofer arrived at McKinney’s, reports said he loaded his .40-caliber Glock handgun and put it in his pocket.
He called his next-door neighbor, Kendall Kelley, a life-long friend, and asked Kelley to come over. He didn’t tell him he was armed.
When Stayner and Cofer pulled up to his home in a black Nissan Rogue, Stayner’s 5-year-old son was in the back seat behind Cofer, who was in the passenger seat.
As Stayner got out of the car and approached the front door, McKinney walked out, approached the vehicle and shot at Cofer multiple times. Stayner began yelling that her child was in the car and McKinney reportedly pointed the gun at her, threatening her, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
He then returned to the house, barricading himself inside.
The 5-year-old sitting directly behind Cofer was uninjured but when deputies arrived about 6:06 p.m. Cofer was slumped over in the passenger seat, Wood said.
Using Kelley’s phone, Deputy Brian Bates was able to persuade McKinney to come out peacefully.
McKinney told deputies “I killed him in cold blood,” reports said.
Prior to this, he had never been arrested.
Cofer is the son of Frostproof Fire Chief Clifford Cofer and was a volunteer firefighter in Frostproof prior to working in Sumter, where he was stationed in Wildwood.
“He will be greatly missed by all,” his father posted to his Facebook Thursday. “I’m very proud of the man and the firefighter he was.”
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