Orlando police arrest 37-year-old suspect after fatal shooting on North Orange Avenue early Sunday morning

Arrest follows early-morning gunfire in Ivanhoe Village corridor

Orlando police have arrested a 37-year-old man in connection with a fatal shooting reported early Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, along North Orange Avenue, a major roadway that runs through the Ivanhoe Village area north of downtown.

Officers were dispatched at about 2:31 a.m. to the 1900 block of North Orange Avenue after reports of a shooting. At the scene, police found an adult male suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim was transported to a hospital, where he later died.

Victim identified; investigators describe dispute before the shooting

Police identified the victim as Julien Emmanuel Cruz, 33.

Investigators said the shooting followed a verbal and physical altercation on the sidewalk involving Cruz and the suspect, identified as Jean Gabriel Borja Gil De La Madr, 37. Police allege that during the confrontation, the suspect retrieved a firearm from his vehicle and shot Cruz.

Vehicle located nearby; suspect taken into custody

Police said the suspect left the scene in a vehicle. Officers later located that vehicle in the 200 block of East New Hampshire Avenue, a nearby street in the same general area. Gil De La Madr was subsequently arrested.

He was booked on a charge of second-degree murder with a firearm. Court records detailing a first appearance date, a plea, and potential defense representation were not available in the information released Sunday.

What is known—and what remains under investigation

Police described the case as an active investigation. Authorities have not released additional details about the circumstances leading up to the dispute, what may have prompted the confrontation, or whether any witnesses were formally interviewed at the scene.

• Location: 1900 block of North Orange Avenue
• Time of initial police response: about 2:31 a.m., Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026
• Victim: Julien Emmanuel Cruz, 33 (died after transport to a hospital)
• Arrested suspect: Jean Gabriel Borja Gil De La Madr, 37
• Charge: second-degree murder with a firearm

The department reported the case represents Orlando’s third homicide of 2026.

Community context

The incident occurred in a nightlife and dining corridor near Ivanhoe Village, where North Orange Avenue connects to surrounding residential streets. Police have not announced any broader public-safety advisories related to the case beyond the continuing investigation.

Anyone with firsthand information about the altercation or shooting is typically encouraged to contact law enforcement to assist investigators as they work to reconstruct the events that led to Cruz’s death.