Police settled an ice cream dispute between a Florida man and his two roommates, but an hour later they were called back and found both men shot

A Florida man is accused of shooting his two roommates dead after an argument that reportedly started over stolen ice cream. Mark Lynn Robinson, 69, was arrested following the Oct. 28 double homicide at a home on SE Eighth Street in Ocala. The victims were identified as Michael Samuel Menkes, 78, and Charles Fredick Etheze, 69. Both men rented rooms from Robinson.

According to Mandatory, Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken said officers had visited the property earlier that evening. They were responding to a domestic disturbance involving the three men, and learned that the argument had started because someone had eaten another person’s ice cream.

Police calmed things down, and Menkes and Etheze left the property. Within an hour, dispatchers began receiving calls about gunfire at the residence, prompting officers to return.

Robinson told detectives he fired in self-defense

Officers found Menkes in the front yard with a gunshot wound to his back. Robinson surrendered as officers approached the house and reportedly admitted to shooting both men. A search of the property led police to Etheze, who had also been shot. Neither man survived. Disputes over trivial things have turned violent elsewhere this year, including in Indianapolis, where a man was shot outside a Kroger after an argument over Pokémon cards.

Details in the arrest affidavit offer some insight into what happened after the first police visit. Robinson reportedly told detectives he had been drinking heavily that evening, estimating that he consumed about a bottle and a half of white wine.

He also said he was worried that another confrontation would break out when his roommates came home. He then retrieved a 12-gauge shotgun from his bedroom and placed it on the living room couch, according to the affidavit.

When Menkes and Etheze returned, another argument reportedly followed. Robinson claimed that Etheze had picked up a knife and that both men rushed toward him. He told investigators he fired the shotgun in self-defense.

Police did recover a knife at the scene. However, investigators say other evidence challenged Robinson’s account, particularly his description of what happened to Menkes. Forensic findings and witness statements reportedly indicated that Menkes was running out of the house when he was shot from behind.

Police had been called to the house before

Chief Balken also pointed to the history of police calls at the address. Officers had responded to three separate incidents at the property over the previous year, and he described the household as a dysfunctional living arrangement and Robinson as volatile. It is not the only recent Florida case involving an older man accused of killing someone living in his home. Robert Kessler, 74, is currently on trial in Hillsborough County over the death of a woman who had been staying with him.

Robinson was taken to the Marion County Jail after his arrest. He later appeared before County Judge LeAnn Mackey-Barnes via Zoom, where the judge ordered him held without bail.

He has been charged with one count of second-degree murder, and detectives expect additional charges as the investigation continues. His formal arraignment is scheduled for Dec. 1.