ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — A family’s vacation quickly turned into something they never expected to witness. Just steps away from where they were staying, a road rage encounter escalated into gunfire, leaving one person seriously hurt and sending shock through Palmetto Road near A1A South in St. Johns County.
The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office says a person was detained in connection with the shooting, but as of now, no arrest has been made.
Justin Sylvester and his family were visiting from Montana and Massachusetts, staying at an Airbnb along the same street where the shooting unfolded.
“We’re just sitting there. We heard some yelling and some overall nonsense, then we just heard pop, pop, pop, pop, pop,” Sylvester said.
He said it was his father-in-law who called 911 as the situation unfolded right in front of them.
Even with the scene cleared and traffic moving again, a visible blood stain sits along the side of the road.
According to Slyvester, a man in a white Jeep and a man in a black pickup truck were trying to run each other off the road. He says the driver of the white Jeep claimed he turned down the street to get away and de-escalate the situation. But moments later, the driver of the black pickup followed.
Sylvester said the man in the white Jeep got out of his vehicle with a gun and approached the truck. That is when the driver of the pickup truck, who Sylvester said was a Marine, opened fire.
The man who was shot was airlifted to the hospital with serious injuries.
The sheriff’s office has not released any new updates on the victim’s condition or whether charges will be filed.
As for Sylvester and his family, they are choosing not to let the violence define their trip.
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