Poppy Bilderbeck
Two children were allegedly shot by each other's fathers after the men became embroiled in a 'cat and mouse game' on the highway.
On Saturday, 8 October, two men were involved in a 'road rage incident' just after 6:00pm on US One, South Callahan, Florida. Police were called with reports of 'people being shot'.
Both William Joseph Hale, 35, and Frank Gilliard Allison are accused of shooting each other's daughters and 'letting their emotions get the best of them'.
The fathers' alleged behaviour has since been condemned as 'stupid' and 'crazy'.
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Hale had been driving a black Dodge Ram and Allison had been driving a grey Nissan Murano when the altercation occurred.
The two vehicles were reportedly driving near one another as if in a 'cat and mouse game, [...] speeding, driving erratically and brake-checking each other,' which led to a bystander calling 911.
At a press hearing held yesterday (Monday, 10 October), Bill Leeper, a sheriff for Nassau County, stated: "At some point during the encounter, the driver of the Dodge Ram [Hale] got up alongside the Nissan and rolled his window down and began shouting at the driver of the Nissan [Allison] to pull over."
In response to being asked to pull over, the person seated in the 'right front passenger of the Nissan put her hand out the window and flipped the other vehicle off with her middle finger'.
"The Nissan driver, Allison, rolled his window down to shout back at the other driver, and a plastic water bottle was thrown from the Dodge Ram into the Nissan," Sheriff Leeper explained.
It's after this interaction that a Sig Saur 45-caliber automatic handgun was allegedly pulled out by Allison.
Sheriff Leeper continued: "[He] fired one shot at the other truck before driving away at a high rate of speed. Allison stated the reason he fired his weapon was to get out of the whole situation."
The bullet is reported as having hit Hale's five-year-old daughter in the leg.
"Everyone started freaking out in the back seat. When he [Hale] saw Murano speed away he then realised his daughter was shot," Sheriff Leeper said.
The father then proceeded to chase the other vehicle down and allegedly pulled out a Glock 9mm semi-automatic handgun.
Seven to eight bullets - the whole magazine - were allegedly fired by Hale, one of which went into the back of Allison's 14-year-old daughter.
Soon after the shootings, the vehicles were apprehended by an NCSO patrol car, both children were taken to the hospital and their fathers were swiftly taken into custody at Nassau county jail that evening.
Allison's daughter suffered from a collapsed lung as a result of the shooting. The state of Hale's daughter's injuries have not been detailed, however, neither daughters are reported as suffering from fatal injuries.
Court records state both Hale and Allison have each been charged with one count of attempted murder in the second degree.
Sheriff Leeper concluded: "What is scarier than one crazy driver with a gun? Two crazy drivers with a gun.
"Thankfully, no one was killed in this incident. But it could have been very easily turned out that way because two people were acting stupid and let their tempers get the best of them.
"There could have been two dead kids because of two stupid grown men."
The investigation into the incident and two men is ongoing. However, they have since posted bail and been released from jail.
UNILAD has contacted Nassau County for comment.
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