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 stands accused of attempted murder and aggravated assault. According to a probable cause arrest affidavit by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, Webb’s ex-wife recently died and her daughters and son-in-law who are heirs to her estate arrived at her home in Micanopy, which is some 10 miles south of Gainesville, to clean it in preparation for a sale.
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When they pulled into the driveway shortly before 1 p.m. Thursday they allegedly saw Webb’s vehicle. Webb, who divorced his ex-wife in 1998, was not supposed to be in the home, her daughters later told cops. One of the daughters began recording on her cell phone and they walked into the home and called Webb’s name. They allegedly saw Webb 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 allegedly ran after them and fired multiple rounds at the car, striking it several times. Luckily, no one inside the car was hit but the bullets did strike the engine and disabled the car, the affidavit said.
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.
