Latorray Collins (Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office).
What was supposed to be a fun night rekindling a romance with an old flame turned into a violent situation when the Florida man’s ex-girlfriend shot his new love interest in the head.
The incident unfolded Saturday night in Jacksonville. Deputies responded to the intersection of McDuff Avenue and Post Street and found a female victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. Investigators found a single .380 caliber shell casing at the scene. Witnesses pointed to the suspect, 38-year-old Latorray Collins, who had a handgun in her waistband, a probable cause arrest affidavit from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said.
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Collins’ ex-boyfriend later told deputies he had recently cut off their romance. On Saturday afternoon, he said Collins began texting him about wanting to give him back some of his clothes and other items that were at her home. He told her did not want his items returned and requested she just throw away his possessions.
He said he was planning a night out with the victim, whom he had previously dated, and some of her family members, according to the affidavit. The man drove the victim in her car to a liquor store where they met up with others. They were leaving the store when Collins again started incessantly calling him, cops wrote. He was at a stoplight when, suddenly, he saw Collins in her car, the affidavit says. She allegedly swerved in front of him, blocking his vehicle from going forward.
The man reversed and then drove around Collins before driving away. But Collins allegedly kept following him. At another stoplight, Collins allegedly got out of her car and walked up to her ex-boyfriend and began “aggressively knocking on his window,” the affidavit said. He told her to leave him alone. The victim’s other family members who were in a car ahead of the man got out to see what was happening. Meanwhile, Collins and the man’s passenger — the woman who he had plans with that night — started arguing. Fearing an altercation, the man got out of the car and tried to diffuse the situation.
That’s when Collins allegedly shot the victim once the in head. Paramedics rushed the unresponsive victim to the hospital. The affidavit did not include an updated medical condition.
Post-Miranda, Collins told cops that she was knocking on her ex’s window because she wanted him to give her marijuana. She said she and the others on scene began to argue and she accused one of them of throwing a cup of alcohol at her. Collins said she allegedly took out a gun with the intention of shooting into the air to scare people away.
“After accidentally discharging the firearm, the suspect said she observed the victim fall to the pavement,” cops wrote.
She said she “did not believe she had shot the victim because she was not intending to shoot her,” according to deputies. Collins stands accused of second-degree attempted murder and remains in the Duval County Jail on a $250,000 bond. She has a court date set for March 11.
