An elderly man pulled out a gun and opened fire during a family feud, all because of estate ownership. 81-year-old John Webb was charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault. This happened in Florida on Thursday when Webb shot at his ex-wife’s heirs who were attempting to sell her Micanopy home, according to the Daily Mail.
Videos by Suggest
81-Year-Old Man Charged For Opening Fire At Group Over Estate Inheritance
It all went down around 1 PM on May 22 when the ex-wife’s heirs, her son-in-law and daughters, met up at the home. They went inside to clean it “in preparation for selling it,” according to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office news release, via the Miami Herald.
They were surprised to find Webb already inside the residence, armed with a revolver. Webb used to be married to the woman who owned the home, until they divorced in 1998.
The heirs first noticed a vehicle outside the home when they arrived. As they entered the home, they began recording a video, soon finding him in the living room. The deputies reported that the heirs told Webb “he was not supposed to be there.” After all, it had been 27 years since the divorce.
It didn’t take long for Webb to brandish a revolver and shoot at the ceiling. The heirs began fleeing from the home as Webb yelled at them. “No, don’t move; you got to die first,” Webb allegedly shouted.
The group hopped back into their vehicle as Webb continued firing more shots at them. One of the bullets managed to hit the engine, causing the vehicle to break down on a nearby road.
The Aftermath Of The Violent Family Feud
Luckily, the authorities managed to catch Webb before he could catch up to the group. “Webb left the scene in his vehicle but was later intercepted by deputies,” said the sheriff’s office. “A high-risk traffic stop was conducted, and Webb was detained without incident.”
The good news is that nobody was hurt. Still, this incident could’ve ended fatally. “Had those rounds impacted maybe just a couple more inches up, unfortunately, you probably would’ve had a catastrophic incident where multiple victims would have been harmed,” said Capt. Chris Sims, a public information officer, to WCJB.
The affidavit, obtained by Law & Crime, gives insight into Webb’s motives. Webb allegedly claimed later to police that his ex-wife’s family “harassed” him. “They come in threatening me and I fired a shot in the air,” he told officers. “Then fired some into the radiator of their car, period.”
Despite Webb’s claims, the cops concluded that Webb instigated the fight after a “non-confrontational and non-hostile encounter.” Webb shooting at the car with multiple people inside made his actions “imminently dangerous,” said the cops. They also said he “demonstrated a depraved mind without regard to human life.”
Webb is now held without bond in Alachua County Jail.