A confrontation that began with tailgating and flashing lights ended in gunfire at a Palatka intersection, leaving one man dead, another seriously wounded and a local resident facing second-degree murder rapss.
According to court papers, the incident began shortly before 6 a.m. on July 11, when Justin Mullins, 51, was driving eastbound on Crill Avenue after leaving his girlfriend’s home.
Mullins told detectives he found himself behind a white Ford Ranger that had activated a bright light from its rear bumper and was slowing near the underpass in the 1200 block of Crill Avenue.
Mullins claimed he attempted to pass the Ranger, but the driver maneuvered partially into the oncoming lane to block him.
The victims crashed into a sign at this preschool. (Little Sprouts)
Mullins eventually passed and said the truck continued behind him until they reached the intersection of Crill Avenue and Laurel Street.
There, Mullins stopped at a stop sign, with the Ford Ranger behind him. He told police the truck activated another bright light, and the occupants began yelling and gesturing at him.
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Mullins stated he responded by putting his hand out the window and making a rude gesture. He said the truck then pulled up beside him, and although he could not see inside due to the tinted windows, he feared for his life and began firing his weapon.
He said he then exited his vehicle, approached the Ranger with his gun still drawn, and tried to render aid while calling 911.
Video evidence later reviewed by detectives from a nearby daycare facility contradicted portions of that account.
Surveillance footage from Little Sprouts Learning Center at 200 South 7th Street shows Mullins first waving the truck around his vehicle before opening fire from inside his Mazda as the Ranger passed him.
The truck then accelerated, veered off the roadway, and crashed into a concrete sign on the daycare’s property.
When officers arrived, they found Mullins on scene and the two occupants of the Ranger suffering from gunshot wounds.
The driver, William Krueger, and the passenger, Sidney Carter, were transported to HCA Putnam Hospital by emergency crews.
Carter was later pronounced dead. Krueger, who sustained multiple gunshot wounds, was later interviewed at Orange Park Medical Center, where he described trying to avoid conflict by slowing down and allowing the Mazda to pass.
Mullins was taken into custody at the scene. A handgun and multiple magazines were recovered from his person and secured by officers.
Mullins was charged with second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
The case is ongoing.
