The victim of a deadly Florida road rage shooting was a single mom of two who had been celebrating her birthday just moments before she was killed in front of her daughter.
Georgeann Park Garner, 48, died on Saturday after a driver pulled up alongside her vehicle and shot her at point-blank range at a red light in Panama City.
Her daughter Marileigh Lewis, 19, was in the backseat at the time and was shot in the chest, as stated in a GoFundMe appeal set up by Georgann’s best friend.
“The world lost a beautiful soul that day. Georgann truly had a smile that would light up a room. Her eyes twinkled when she laughed and glittered when she snorted. She was taken from us far too quickly and her life was ended by ruthless people with road rage whose hearts were full of hate,” the GoFundMe said.
Georgeann had been celebrating her birthday at a Mardi Gras parade in Panama City beach just minutes before the shocking attack, according to the fundraiser.
The pair left the parade at around 4 p.m. and were driving to a local restaurant for dinner when they were involved in a minor traffic incident with 23-year-old Jubal Simmons and Ivybella Encino, 21, according to a police statement.
“An occupant from Miss Garner’s vehicle went back to this Encino vehicle and struck Miss Encino and that was the conclusion of it. It wasn’t a big drawn-out brawl or anything like that,” Captain Chris Nichol from the Panama City Police Department (PCPD) told WMBB.
Chilling video shot by a witness shows the gray Dodge pickup truck reportedly driven by Encino pull alongside the red GMC Terrain with both Georgeann, her daughter, and one other passenger inside.
Suddenly, a passenger in the pickup pulls out what appears to be a gun and what sounds like 11 gunshots ring out as the truck speeds away.
Dispatchers were called to the scene on Highway 231 just after 4:15 p.m. on Saturday to reports of a shooting, the Panama City Police Department (PCPD) said in a statement.
An officer on patrol in a nearby parking lot heard gunshots and then saw a gray Dodge Ram speeding away and heading north, according to police.
Simmons fired around 11 rounds hitting both Garner and Lewis in the chest and also striking an uninvolved vehicle, police said.
The vehicle was eventually stopped in a nearby Holiday Inn parking lot where the driver, Encino, rammed into the police cars before she was detained, according to the police press release.
Simmons, the suspected gunman who was a passenger in the Dodge at the time, ran away from the scene but was arrested close by, according to the statement from cops.
Both Georgann and Marileigh were rushed to the hospital where the mom of two died, according to the PCPD.
Garner had never met either Encino or Simmons, according to the PCPD.
“Marileigh suffered a bullet to the chest and almost lost her life too. She is currently in ICU with extensive damage. She will need time to heal and her medical bills will be extensive and expensive,” the GoFundMe appeal set up by Georgeann’s friend continues.
“Evidence indicates that the incident stemmed from Encino and Simmons getting upset over traffic and verbally assaulting the occupants of Garner’s vehicle. This then escalated to a brief physical altercation between Lewis and Encino before all parties separated and got back into their respective vehicles,” the PCPD said.
Simmons faces nine charges including murder, three counts of attempted murder, tampering with evidence, and resisting arrest. He is being held without bond.
Encino, his girlfriend, was charged with being an accessory to murder, aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, and driving while her license was suspended, among other offenses. Her bond is $800,500.
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