JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Sheriff Leeper with the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office says Frank Gilliard Allison and William Joseph Hale have been arrested for attempted murder after they opened fire on each other while driving recklessly on Saturday evening.
The Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper says the two reckless drivers shot at each other’s vehicles during a bout of road rage.
“After our investigation, Frank Gilliard Allison and William Joseph Hale were both arrested and charged with attempted murder, and booked into the Nassau County jail,” Leeper says
At one point, passengers made lewd gestures and threw a water bottle at the opposing car.
Allison and Hale began arguing with each other, while driving aggressively and even brake-checking one another, according to Leeper.
One witness described the high-speed chase as “cat and mouse the whole time,” and told officers that “he knew something bad was going to happen,” according to the NCSO arrest report.
NCSO received multiple 911 calls from both vehicles, who reported their respective daughters being shot.
Each of the men opened fire from the driver’s seat, and the barrage of bullets wounded a child in each of the vehicles.
Allison shot first hitting a 5-year-old child in the right leg, then Hale returned fire, emptying an entire clip at Allison’s vehicle.
Three of Hale’s bullets struck Allison’s car, and one pierced a 14-year-old in the back, causing a collapsed lung in the process.
The two men continued to drive aggressively until stopping to argue face-to-face.
Sheriff Leeper says officers had to physically restrain the men, while the children were sent to nearby hospitals.
The children are expected to recover from their gunshot wounds.
Allison and Hale were arrested for felony attempted murder charges, says Leeper.
As of today, both men have bailed out of jail.
In each of their arrest reports, officers conclude by saying, “the act was imminently dangerous and demonstrated a depraved mind without regard for human life.”