TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Hillsborough County jury found Gerald Radford not guilty of the murder of John ” Walt” Lay on Thursday.

Radford shot and killed Lay as the two men were engaged in a physical fight in a Hillsborough County dog park in 2024.

A day after the trial came to an end, Lay’s friends expressed shock over the verdict.

“I was speechless at first and I just can’t understand how you can kill somebody and then just walk away,” said Albert Darlington, who knew both men and is a regular at the dog park where the shooting happened.

There were no witnesses to the shooting, but Darlington said he’s seen Radford be rude to many people.

“Walt tried to stay away from Deck. Deck argued with everybody. I saw him scream and holler at some woman and he yelled, ‘No wonder you’re single because you’ve got such a fat (expletive)’,” Darlington recalled.

Still, he was shocked that Radford shot Lay.

“I would have never guessed he’d shoot him,” Darlington said. “I figured they were going to get in a fight and OK, fine. Get in a fight, get it over with and settle it.”

Kim Wolfley was a friend of Walt Lay’s and is also in shock over the verdict.

“I was very disappointed,” Wolfley said. “I feel like the justice system failed us. I just don’t see how the jury could have come up with a not guilty verdict.”

Radford was released from the Hillsborough County jail early Friday morning. He no longer faces any charges in the case and is a free man.