Clay County court records show prosecutors will not charge 32-year-old Darrius Kirkland with attempted murder or child abuse in connection with the Sept. 18 shooting.
CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — The man accused of shooting at the father of his girlfriend’s children during a child custody exchange in Oakleaf Plantation will not face felony charges for attempted murder or child abuse, according to Clay County court records obtained Friday by First Coast News .
Kirkland was initially arrested on charges of attempted murder, felony child abuse and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon following the Sept. 18 shooting.
Deputies said they received multiple 911 calls that afternoon reporting gunfire on Baybridge Court in Oakleaf Plantation.
Minutes later, additional callers reported that a vehicle had crashed on Piedmont Manor Drive and that a man was running through a home’s backyard.
Investigators said the shooting occurred during a planned custody exchange between two separated parents at the Baybridge Court home. According to the initial investigation, Kirkland brought an AR-style rifle and a semiautomatic handgun with him to the exchange.
Deputies said Kirkland opened fire as the children’s father exited his vehicle. The father returned fire with his own handgun before fleeing through neighboring yards. A young child remained inside the father’s vehicle when the shooting began, and deputies said Kirkland’s gunfire struck the car several times.
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No one was injured in the exchange of gunfire, deputies said. The children’s mother took cover, then got both children safely out of danger and onto the ground. Several nearby homes were also struck by stray bullets.
The father later returned to the scene and surrendered to deputies.
Deputies said Kirkland drove away in the mother’s car before crashing into a tree on Piedmont Manor Drive. The crash sparked fires involving the vehicle, the tree and a nearby unoccupied car; responding firefighters later extinguished them. A police K-9 eventually located Kirkland. He was taken to a hospital for injuries sustained in the crash, where investigators interviewed him.
Clay County court records show prosecutors filed only one charge during an Oct. 8 court proceeding. The attempted murder and child abuse charges were dropped, while the possession of a weapon by a convicted felon charge was retained as a second-degree felony.
It is not clear why the additional charges were dropped. First Coast News contacted the State Attorney’s Office for comment and will update this story if officials respond.
Kirkland pleaded not guilty to the felony weapons charge during an Oct. 20 arraignment. He remains in the Clay County Jail on a $500,000 bond.