A man was hospitalized on Christmas Day after Columbia County Sheriff’s deputies say he was shot in the head.
Sheriff’s deputies arrested JM, 53, in connection with the shooting on Cullen Avenue in Fort White.
After receiving reports of a shooting around 12:40 p.m., first responders found the victim, a white male, with an apparent gunshot wound to the head. The victim was taken to the hospital in critical condition. As of this report, he remains in the hospital.
Deputies say M told them he shot the victim, and he was taken into custody.
Investigators say M and the victim got into a fight on Christmas Day. Afterward, he retrieved his gun and approached the victim, who was sitting in a chair. Without warning, he fired a single shot into the victim’s head.
M was arrested on the charge of attempted second-degree murder and booked into the Columbia County Jail on no bond.
Authorities ask anyone with further information regarding this case to contact the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office at 386-719-2005.
TV20 spoke with a neighbor of the victim who watched the Christmas lights get replaced by police lights.
“I was driving home, I was picking up my girlfriend and we parked in the yard, and I see a bunch of police cars outside, a lot of undercover with the caution tape,” said Petrovich.
He said he’s never seen anything like this in his small Fort White community before.
“I mean it made me sick to my stomach honestly, you know it’s raw shock,” said Petrovich. “I was speechless I was trying to find things about it because I’m obviously very curious about it but stuff happens.”
Petrovich said he’s had encounters with M before and said he believes he suffers from mental health issues.
“All I know is he was not right in the head, and he just needed help,” said Petrovich.
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Source: wcjb
