The Florida Highway Patrol says that I-95 in Latana will likely be closed for the rest of the day following a chaotic scene involving a homicide and an officer-involved fatal shooting as well as multiple wrong way crashes.
Two Dead In Shooting Incident
Mayhem on I-95: https://t.co/vbNOPqxPrB pic.twitter.com/SHPYusPEla
— Sun Sentinel (@SunSentinel) February 7, 2018
According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff, the incident started around 9:30 a.m. today when a male suspect shot a woman to death in a parking lot in Lake Worth, stealing her black Nissan with the woman still inside the vehicle.
When authorities caught up with the suspect fifteen minutes after the woman was shot, the suspect was driving the Nissan south in the northbound lanes of I-95. This resulted in three separate crashes.
“Cars were running off the road and so accidents were occurring…there were three separate accidents,” said Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw.
Authorities say that a Florida trooper tried to subdue the suspect with a taser when he was in the stopped car, but that the trooper became fearful for his life because of the suspect’s actions and opened fire, killing the man.
The suspect is believed to have shot another person last night in West Palm Beach. That man survived the shooting.
Two motorists were injured in the crashes caused by the suspect.
A portion of southbound I-95 was shut down because of the incident, but has since reopened. The northbound lanes of I-95 are closed between Lantana Road and Sixth Avenue and will remain closed for the rest of the day for the investigation into the incident. Traffic is reportedly backed up for miles.
BREAKING: Aerial video of the multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 95 NB. There was a deputy-involved shooting at some point during this chain of events. I-95 NB is closed for the rest of the day. This story is developing. pic.twitter.com/Vdsz9uEni7
— WPBF 25 News (@WPBF25News) February 7, 2018
“It appears that through hard work and diligence here, and a timely response by the FHP and our deputy, we have averted this guy not only crashing into a whole bunch more cars on this side of the road, but escaping here and going on to do whatever he’s going to do, which is obviously involved in shooting people, because he did one last night and obviously the one here today,” said Bradshaw.