A Florida man now faces a first-degree murder charge after the woman he is accused of shooting outside a Safety Harbor bar died of her injuries, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said.

Christopher 'Dodge' Smith, 40, of Safety Harbor, was arrested on Tuesday night, October 13, 2026, and charged with attempted first-degree murder and child abuse in connection with the shooting of Jessica Antolini, 30, deputies said. Antolini died at 9:14 p.m. on Thursday, October 15, and the sheriff's office said in an update on Friday morning that Smith now faces first-degree murder, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

According to the arrest affidavit, Smith arrived at the Harbor Bar at 840 Main Street at about 8:45 p.m. on October 13, leaving his 5-year-old daughter and dog in his vehicle outside, and went inside looking for Antolini. Witnesses who knew Smith told investigators he was walking around as if 'possessed' and appeared to be 'hunting down' Antolini, the affidavit states. Smith found Antolini and the two argued outside; when he walked to his SUV and she followed, he allegedly pulled a gun and shot her in the face, according to the affidavit.

Deputies allege Smith then fled in the SUV and ran over Antolini as he left, with his daughter and dog still inside the vehicle. Multiple witnesses called 911 and described Smith's vehicle, and deputies stopped the SUV a short time later in Palm Harbor — body-camera, dash-camera and aerial video of the stop released by the sheriff's office shows Smith telling deputies, 'My daughter's in there,' Fox News reported. The child and the dog were found unharmed and were placed with family members. A judge denied Smith bond on the original attempted-murder charge and ordered him to have no contact with his daughter, Law & Crime reported.

Smith remains held without bond in the Pinellas County Jail, and the sheriff's office said the investigation is ongoing. The first-degree murder and child abuse charges are allegations; Smith is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Sources: Tampa Bay Times via Tampa Bay Beacons, October 17, 2026, reporting the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office update and arrest affidavit; Fox News, October 2026, reporting the criminal complaint and the sheriff's office video release; Law & Crime reporting on the bond decision.