Inset: John Webb (Alachua County Sheriff’s Office). Background: Alachua County Jail in Florida (Google Maps).
An 81-year-old Florida man is behind bars after he allegedly opened fire at his dead ex-wife’s family over a dispute about her estate.
John Morgan Webb has been charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault. According to an arrest affidavit from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, Webb’s ex-wife recently passed away, prompting her daughters and son-in-law, who are heirs to her estate, to visit her home in Micanopy, located about 10 miles from Gainesville, to prepare it for sale.
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Upon arriving around 1 p.m. on Thursday, they reportedly spotted Webb’s vehicle in the driveway. Webb, who was divorced from his ex-wife in 1998, wasn’t supposed to be at the home, as her daughters later informed the police. One of the daughters began recording on her phone as they entered the house, calling out for Webb. They reportedly found him in the living room.
It was at this time that Webb allegedly pulled out a revolver and fired one shot into the ceiling. The victims began to run out of the home.
“No don’t move you got to die first,” Webb allegedly said.
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The victims hopped in their car and hit reverse.
Webb is accused of chasing them and firing several shots at their car, hitting it multiple times. Fortunately, the occupants were unharmed, though the shots struck the engine, rendering the car inoperable, as stated in the affidavit.
The suspect allegedly drove away, with cops later tracking him down and taking him into custody.
Post Miranda, Webb allegedly said his ex-wife’s family “harassed” him.
“They come in threatening me and I fired a shot in the air, then fired some into the radiator of their car, period,” he told cops, per the affidavit.
Deputies concluded Webb brandished a firearm while engaged in a “non-confrontational and non-hostile encounter” and fired a shot into the air which placed the victims into a “well founded fear” that their lives were in danger. Then he moved inside and shot at the car which could have killed the people inside, cops wrote. The act was “imminently dangerous” to the victims and “demonstrated a depraved mind without regard to human life,” according to police.
Alachua County Sheriff Cpt. Chris Sims told local ABC affiliate WCJB it is fortunate the victims escaped the ordeal unscathed.
“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,” Sims said. “I think it’s important to remember that there are no age restrictions on people who make poor decisions or try to harm someone.”
Webb remains at the Alachua County Jail without bond.
