Man shot, killed in Orange County by neighbor in dispute over loud music, deputies say
Man murdered by neighbor over loud music, deputies say
A man is dead, and another has been arrested following a fatal shooting that investigators say stemmed from a dispute over loud music in Orange County.
ORLANDO, Fla. - A man is dead and another has been arrested following a fatal shooting that investigators say stemmed from a dispute over loud music in Orange County.
Authorities said the shooting happened after a man allegedly went to a neighbor’s home to complain about loud music. Investigators said the confrontation escalated into a fight, during which the neighbor was shot and killed.
The backstory:
FOX 35 was on scene the night of the shooting, when 38-year-old Arnold Rapatalo was shot in the chest and killed. That was Jan. 21.
Arnold Rapatalo was shot and killed on Jan. 21, 2026.
Michael Anthony Thrasher Jr. was arrested a week later. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office says surveillance video shows Thrasher at his apartment complex in Orlando, pounding on his neighbor’s door, complaining about Rapatalo’s music being too loud.
Michael Anthony Thrasher Jr.
Deputies say Thrasher tried to break inside, hitting Rapatalo. The two started grabbing at each other, and then, deputies say, Thrasher fired his weapon. Rapatalo was hit in the chest and killed.
What they're saying:
Arnold Rapatalo’s uncle says after hearing the reasoning for the shooting, shock would be an understatement.
"An argument over loud music? I don't know. It just feels really s*** to know that's how he died," said Rapatalo.
Family members of the man killed, Arnold Rapatalo, was a Navy veteran. He joined when he was 18 years old and served for four years.
They said he just moved to Orlando from New York a few years ago.
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"It's so hard. He's my oldest son," his mother, Adralyn Apologista, told FOX 35 Reporter Marie Edinger through tears. "I’m heartbroken. I can’t believe Arnold’s gone already…I’m really going to miss him so much."
Rapatalo’s younger brother, Kim Apologista, says Rapatalo had a group of friends in the running community. The little brother says he has the same in New York, and wishes he could have spent more time with his brother bonding over their shared hobby.
"He was a light in the community, and he always loved to volunteer, and he was always willing to just help out whenever he can. He was always very silly," Rapatalo’s brother said. "I would want him to be remembered as somebody that was just a very loving person."
"Shock is an understatement," said Rapatalo’s uncle, Ron. "He was such a kind, generous, like, adventurous spirit."
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All this happened so quickly, packages were still sitting outside both men’s doorways Thursday, the day Thrasher had his first appearance in front of a judge.
A neighbor, Branden Fletcher, said he was there the night of the shooting.
"I looked out the window, it was paramedics or police was doing CPR on the fellow that had been shot. And that was just a matter of minutes," he recalled. "I've heard other neighbors speak on his loud music, but I think they were just saying that the other guy had a problem with his loud music."
The alleged shooter
Dig deeper:
The U.S. Marine Corps confirmed today that Thrasher served as a Private, E1 for a little less than a year — September 2011 to August 2012. He would’ve been 18 at the time.
Court records show Thrasher ran into a decent amount of trouble as he got older. In 2021, he took a plea deal after hitting his girlfriend in the head with a gun in Polk County.
He was still on probation for that when he got convicted for fleeing from police in Orange County in 2023. He went back to jail and was just released in March 2024.
What's next:
Rapatalo's family says his body is being brought from Florida to New York and arrives Friday. They'll figure out funeral arrangements and a celebration of life from there.
"As a family, we're trying to stay strong," said Kim Apologista. "We're trying to stay connected with each other, just making sure everybody is able to grieve properly."
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Orange County Sheriff's Office and from interviews with family members of 38-year-old Arnold Rapatalo and his neighbors.