Lakeland Police are investigating a shooting of two mothers -- one of whom is dead.

  • Lakeland woman went out dancing to celebrate daughter's birthday
  • In the early hours of Saturday, Oct. 15, she and a friend were both shot
  • Andrea Dixon, 39, died at the hospital

Detectives said they found Andrea Dixon, 39, lying on the ground early Saturday at the Chevron gas station on West Memorial Blvd. She died later at the hospital.

Her family told us that Dixon spent the night dancing at Rumors Nightclub with her oldest daughter, celebrating her daughter's 25th birthday.

“I was just so astonished I couldn't believe it,” said Daisy Thomas Bethel, Dixon’s grandmother.

Dixon was a mother of four, and a grandmother herself.  Bethel said she was a certified nursing assistant at Brandon Regional Hospital. She described the shooting of her grandaughter as senseless.

“They just shoot all the time," said Bethel. "This killing and shooting. People doing this all the time, everyday. Just sad. Just murdering people around the city."

According to Lakeland Police, Derrick Deon Robinson, 25, was arrested and charged with first degree murder. Two witnesses reportedly identified Robinson from pictures on his Facebook account.

Dixon’s second oldest daughter, Demondra Fisher, said her mother died doing what she loved to do.

“My mama, she like to dance, have fun, crack jokes, all night long, she’ll dance,” recalled Fisher. “That’s my mama. [...] They took my mama away from me.“

Police said there was a fight in the parking lot of Rumors Nightclub. When they responded, it had already been dispersed. Then, 15 minutes later, they responded to a shooting at Chevron gas station down the road. Investigators said witnesses told them the crowd involved in earlier fights at the nightclub had spilled over to the Chevron gas station.

Fisher said her mother left the nightclub and headed to the gas station with her daughter to party on. That’s when the shooting happened.

Dixon’s friend, Johnetha Ragins, 34, of Lakeland was also shot. Police said she was shot in her hip and forearm. She’s recovering at Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center.

*Rumors // Ok coral, 935 E Memorial Blvd, Lakeland, FL 33801