By Leigh Clifton
Local Body Shop owner Charles Lee “Chuck” Holloman was found dead on the floor of his body and paint shop on 15th Ave. S. in Gulfport on Tuesday. The cause of death appeared to be a gunshot wound to the head. An investigation is being held by teh Gulfport police, State Fire Marshall, Pinellas County Sheriff’s office, the ATF and the Medical Examiner.

Local body shop owner Charles Lee “Chuck” Holloman was found dead in his business “Chuck’s Body Shop and Detail” around 11 am Tuesday morning. Gulfport Fire and Rescue, responding to a report of a fire at the shop at 5060 15th Ave South, found the 66 year old Holloman dead on the floor with an apparent wound to the head. There was a five gallon bucket that contained a fire and evidence of an explosion with intense heat, according to Gulfport Interim Police Chief Lieutenant Howard Coombs.
A preliminary report from the scene indicates a trauma to the head, consistent with a gunshot wound. A small caliber revolver was also found on the scene, according to Chief Coombs.
“The Pinellas County Medical Examiner will be able to determine exact cause of death after an autopsy has been performed,” Chief Coombs told reporters. Because there was a gun recovered at the scene near the body, they will also perform a GSR, a gunshot residue test to rule out suicide.
Speaking with neighbors, Lieutenant Coombs said that several told him that Mr. Holloman had been depressed recently and that he had given away a few of his possessions. But his family disputes that, saying he was in good spirits, according to the Chief. Other neighbors don’t believe it either.
“I just saw him last night, sitting in the doorway of his office, like he always does, watching TV with his feet propped up,” says neighbor Darryl Coleman, who’s known Holloman since Coleman was a child.
“I was walking to the store to get some beer and I waved at him and said ‘Hey Big Money’, that’s his nickname. Gonna go get my twelve. He waved back and said he was gonna go get his own twelve (pack of beer) in a bit. He seemed ok.”
Coleman said that Holloman didn’t have any apparent money troubles; his shop was usually busy.
“His business was always good. If he was slow, he’d close up shop for the day. The next day you’d see ten or twelve cars lined up. He knew everybody and he did everybody’s car.”
Coleman knew him as a family friend.
“He used to run with my Dad a while back. They’ve been friends for years. He even changed my diapers as a kid. This is just sad, so sad” he drifted off.
Chief Coombs said that the case in under active investigation by the Gulfport Police, the State Fire Marshall, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the ATF and the Medical Examiner. Holloman is survived by his wife and three daughters.