Two men were hospitalized late Tuesday night, one of them with multiple gunshot wounds, after a road rage incident that had begun on Belle Terre Parkway escalated and involved another individual when the participants were in the drive-thru of the McDonald’s at the corner of Palm Coast Parkway and Belle Terre Parkway.
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the scene at 10:20 p.m.
A 61-year-old resident of Daytona North, also known as the Mondex, was shot several times by a 50-year-old Palm Coast man firing a small-caliber weapon. The 61-year-old was taken to Halifax hospital in Daytona Beach after treatment at the scene by Flagler County Fire Rescue and Palm Coast Fire Department paramedics.
The younger man was not injured. He went to a local hospital for evaluation, suggesting that mental health may have played a role in the shooting. He was not under arrest as of this writing.
“It’s actually two different incidents,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in an interview. “One was a road-rage incident on Belle Terre that two drivers were involved in had separated, but then arrived together at the McDonald’s at Belle Terre Parkway and Palm Coast Parkway, and a verbal argument ensued. A third person intervened. The original road rage people separated themselves, and then a secondary argument occurred resulting in the shooting.”
The 50-year-old shooter was part of the original road rage incident. The person who was shot was not. He was “shot multiple times, but is in stable condition and is expected to survive,” the sheriff said. Three of the four individuals involved had been outside their vehicles, in the twin-drive-thru lanes, at the time of the shooting.
Other customers and restaurant employees were around. “Our detectives have talked to all of them,” Staly said. “It’s still an active investigation. We’re having to get search warrants to obtain evidence we believe is inside one of the cars. Both cars have been impounded at our CSI facility and processing center.” Some of the evidence may confirm the number of rounds fired. Detectives are working on determining the relationships between the people involved.
It isn’t yet clear whether charges will follow. The sheriff said detectives are working with the State Attorney’s Office on the next steps. “But there’s not a threat to the community. We have identified everybody involved,” the sheriff said. “This was a circumstances where a lot of anger collided together.”
Anyone with information that could help the investigation is asked to call the non-emergency line at 386-313-4911 or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-277-TIPS (8477).
“It’s better to disengage in a road rage incident than to engage and continue it,” the sheriff said. “It’s better to call law enforcement. Let us investigate [rather] than let the anger spiral out of control to the point that it includes the use of firearms or anything else.”
Joe D says
I don’t know the PARTICULARS of the incident yet, but in the age where PRACTICALLY EVERYONE can ( and in Florida frequently DOES), own a firearm…flaring tempers which used to result in verbal arguments and potentially FIST FIGHTS…now FREQUENTLY involve GUNFIRE…how SAD!
I’ve NEVER owned a firearm (despite growing up in a hunting family where my father taught us SAFE 22 caliber and shotgun use/safety). But now moving to Florida…in the “land of the free.” I’ve now decided I’m PROBABLY going to have to buy /carry 1-2 firearms to FEEL like I’m PROTECTING MYSELF and my family, “just” in case!”