A Florida man is facing serious allegations after purportedly pursuing three cell service representatives with threats of violence, culminating in gunfire.
The incident unfolded when Reginald McGee, 38, encountered three AT&T sales representatives at the Providence Townhomes in Brandon, Florida, on the evening of February 18. The group consisted of two women and one man attempting to reach out to local residents.
According to reports from WFLA, McGee allegedly menaced the sales team, shouting, “Where are you?” and “I’m going to kill you!” as he chased them down the street.
In a shocking turn, McGee is accused of drawing a firearm from his waistband and discharging it at the male representative until he exhausted his ammunition, as reported by the outlet.
Surveillance video obtained by authorities captured the terrifying ordeal, including the sound of two women screaming in horror and pleading for the attack to stop. The footage reportedly recorded at least ten shots being fired.
When deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene, they discovered the injured victim leaning against the steps of a townhouse. Despite his injuries, he remained conscious and was able to give officers a brief description of the shooter, as seen in body camera footage from the police.
Three officers took off running in the general direction they believed the shooter ran. There, they found McGee near his home, splayed flat on the ground with both his hands held up in surrender, according to the video.
“This was a completely unnecessary escalation that left a man seriously injured simply for doing his job. When a disagreement turns into gunfire, that is a choice, and it is a criminal one. Our deputies acted quickly to take this suspect into custody, giving residents in this neighborhood peace of mind and preventing further harm,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said.
McGee originally tried to plead self-defense, but later admitted to chasing down the spooked salespeople and shooting at them, WFLA reported.
The victim was taken to a nearby hospital and treated for non-life-threatening gunshot wounds in his leg, calf, and foot, police said.
McGee was booked on counts of discharging a firearm in public, aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, and attempted second-degree murder.
