Matthew Pasco is accused of killing Shawn Cyriacks after an argument over dogs that had attacked a woman.
LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — Prosecutors have opened a first-degree murder case against a Leesburg man accused of shooting and killing a dog owner after a dog attack near a homeless encampment led to an armed confrontation on Griffin Road.
The Office of State Attorney Bill Gladson for the Fifth Judicial Circuit said a grand jury found enough evidence to indict 43-year-old Matthew Lee Pasco in the death of 36-year-old Shawn Cyriacks. The indictment charges Pasco with first-degree murder with a firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The state’s announcement reframed the April 17 shooting as a case about premeditation and firearm use, not only a violent moment that followed an animal attack. Prosecutors allege Pasco unlawfully killed Cyriacks from a premeditated design and actually possessed and discharged a firearm during the killing. Assistant State Attorney Nicholas Camuccio is assigned to prosecute the case. Pasco is being held at the Lake County Detention Facility without bond. The state attorney’s office said the grand jury was convened to decide whether sufficient evidence existed to charge Pasco in Cyriacks’ death. It returned a true bill, allowing the case to proceed on the listed charges.
The shooting happened near 1904 Griffin Road in Leesburg, in a wooded area close to a homeless encampment. Deputies were first sent there because a woman had been attacked by multiple dogs. The response changed as the 911 call unfolded. A caller who was trying to guide emergency medical crews toward the scene heard screaming and then a gunshot. The caller told dispatch that there was a gunshot wound. When deputies arrived, they found Cyriacks suffering from a gunshot injury. He was treated at the scene and taken to Leesburg Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at about 8:30 a.m.
Investigators said the woman bitten by the dogs was Pasco’s wife. She had been carried out of the woods with bleeding wounds before the shooting, according to the affidavit. She later told detectives she heard a pop and the sound of Cyriacks falling, but denied that Pasco was present. A second woman gave detectives a different account. She said she had slept in Pasco’s tent the night before and woke to the sound of Pasco’s wife being attacked. Pasco went outside, returned to the tent and retrieved a black pistol with a laser attached to it, the witness said. He stated he was going to kill the dogs, according to investigators.
The prosecution’s theory is expected to rely on what happened next. The female witness said she followed Pasco toward the trail where the dogs and Cyriacks were located. Cyriacks, identified as the owner of the dogs, tried to stop Pasco from shooting them. He raised his arms in protest, the witness said, but did not threaten Pasco. Cyriacks told him, “You’re not going to shoot the dogs.” Investigators said Pasco responded by threatening to shoot Cyriacks as well. Pasco then pointed the pistol at Cyriacks and fired into his chest, according to the affidavit. Deputies later described the shooting as deliberate and intentional.
The first-degree murder count puts Pasco’s alleged state of mind at the center of the case. Early witness statements include allegations that Pasco said he intended to kill the dogs and that if Cyriacks got in the way, he could die too. The affidavit also says Pasco can be heard on the 911 call saying he was going to kill it. Those statements may become important as prosecutors try to prove premeditation. Defense arguments have not yet been detailed in the public reports reviewed for this story. Pasco is presumed innocent unless convicted, and the indictment is a formal accusation, not a finding of guilt.
The firearm count adds another layer. The grand jury charged Pasco with possession of a firearm by a felon. Prosecutors also listed firearm enhancement statutes tied to the murder count, alleging that Pasco possessed and discharged a gun and caused Cyriacks’ death. The affidavit described the gun as a black pistol with an attached laser. Witnesses said the laser-sighted weapon was retrieved from Pasco’s tent before the confrontation. The records do not say in the public summary whether the gun had been recovered, where it was found or whether forensic testing had been completed. Those details may surface in later filings, hearings or trial testimony.
After the shooting, the investigation briefly became a search for Pasco. Deputies set up a perimeter around the scene and used aviation, drones and K-9 teams, but they did not find him during the first effort. A witness said Pasco returned to his tent and then left the area on a gray bicycle about five minutes later. Local authorities later said he was captured in Leesburg on North Citrus Boulevard. Leesburg Police Officer Kira Smith apprehended him, and a Lake County Sheriff’s Office sergeant confirmed he was in custody. Pasco was booked into the Lake County jail and held without bond.
The case affected people beyond the camp. Local reports said Carver Middle School was placed on lockdown during the search, then later dismissed. Residents near the area described hearing the shot and seeing a helicopter. The woman attacked by the dogs was taken to a hospital for bite treatment. One dog died, and another was injured. The condition of the surviving dog and the full extent of the woman’s injuries were not detailed in the public accounts. The records released so far also do not fully explain how the dogs got loose, how many dogs were involved or whether any animal control action followed.
Pasco’s next listed court date is May 18. At future hearings, prosecutors and defense counsel may address discovery, bond status, evidence preservation and scheduling. If the case proceeds to trial, jurors could be asked to weigh the 911 audio, witness testimony, medical findings, firearm evidence and Pasco’s alleged statements before and after the shooting. The state attorney’s office said it would continue seeking justice for victims by enforcing Florida criminal law. For Cyriacks’ family and the Leesburg community, the legal process is now the main public forum for answers about the minutes between the dog attack and the fatal shot.
While the indictment moves through Lake County circuit court, Pasco remains jailed without bond. The May 18 court date is the next scheduled step in the case.
Author note: Last updated May 10, 2026.