CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — Clay County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of Darrius Elighah Winard Kirkland, 32, in connection with Friday evening’s shooting in the Oakleaf neighborhood during a child custody exchange.
Kirkland has been charged with attempted murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and child abuse, police said.
On Friday, about 5 p.m., Kirkland accompanied his girlfriend to a regularly scheduled child custody exchange with her estranged husband.
Despite being a convicted felon and not being able to legally own firearms, Kirkland armed himself with an AR-style rifle and a semiautomatic pistol on the way to the exchange.
Shortly after the arrival of the father in his vehicle, the young child of Kirkland’s girlfriend exited the vehicle they were riding in and began walking to her father’s vehicle. Kirkland also exited the vehicle with the rifle and pointed it at the father’s vehicle as he was getting out.
Kirkland began firing the rifle numerous times at the father, who returned fire with his own pistol before retreating into neighboring yards. The father’s vehicle was struck by bullets numerous times while another young child was inside, police said in the post.
The mother took cover on the ground during the exchange of gunfire but was able to retrieve both children and get them to safety when the shooting stopped. The mother and children were unharmed during the incident, and no one was struck by gunfire during the exchange. Several houses in the area were hit by stray bullets, but no one was injured.
The father returned to the scene and surrendered to responding deputies.
“A police vehicle showed up lights flashing, siren wailing, and the officer jumped out, and he had an automatic weapon, rifle in his hands and ran down the street,” said Charles Grecu, an area resident.
Kirkland fled the scene in his girlfriend’s vehicle but crashed into a tree and attempted to hide in the yard of a neighboring residence. The vehicle and tree caught fire after the crash, and an unoccupied vehicle parked near the crash also caught fire.
“They brought a man out, had him sit down and then they put him in the police vehicle,” said Grecu.
Clay County Fire Rescue responded and extinguished both fires, but both vehicles had been fully engulfed before they could be extinguished.
Neighbor Koleman Wheatleay captured the crash aftermath on video.
“I was in my backyard, and I heard some explosions. I came around and walked to the corner, and by the time I got out here like five minutes later after I heard it. Both the cars were incinerated,” said Wheatley.
“I felt bad because the girl was over here, the owner of the car...she’s pretty sad, crying and stuff,” Wheatley added.
A CCSO K9 officer apprehended Kirkland with assistance from community members.
Kirkland was interviewed by detectives and received medical treatment for injuries sustained during the incident before being arrested.
The mother and father were cooperative and were also interviewed by detectives. A large section of Piedmont Manor Dr was shut down for several hours while detectives obtained search warrants to recover evidence from multiple scenes.
Though an arrest has been made, the investigation remains active and ongoing.
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