Miccosukee tribe member charged after an argument-turned-shooting on the reservation

An argument on the Miccosukee Indian Reservation last week culminated in a violent ending and the arrest of a tribal member, who officials say now has been federally charged.

Sutanga Rex Cypress, 42, was arguing with a man Friday when he pulled out a gun and shot him in the abdomen, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Florida.

READ MORE: Man shot on Miccosukee reservation, according to police

Miccosukee police officers responded to the shooting on Southwest Eighth Street and Loop Road to find the injured man lying on the ground, an FBI criminal complaint read.

“I’ve been shot,” the man said.

The victim, who was not identified, was airlifted to the hospital and taken to the intensive care unit. The victim’s condition was not immediately known.

The complaint notes that a neighbor and his mother overheard the argument next door and what sounded like a “pop.” The neighbor recorded the argument on his mobile phone before calling the police about the shooting, according to the FBI complaint.

Cypress, still at the scene of the shooting, was arrested.

On Monday, Cypress made his first appearance in Fort Lauderdale federal court. The complaint charges him with assault with intent to commit murder, assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. His detention hearing is on Friday, and his arraignment is scheduled for May 13.

He faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

His criminal case is being handled by the FBI and U.S. prosecutors because the shooting occurred in the Miccosukee Indian Reservation, a federal jurisdiction.