JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The aftermath of Monday’s road rage confrontation, which resulted in gunfire, has left the community on edge. Jamal Youngblood, a local resident, recounts the startling moment he realized something was amiss during his morning commute.

“I thought I heard a gunshot,” Youngblood recalled. The unexpected loud noise caught him off guard while he was driving to work with his children in the car. “I heard something, I looked over, and I just kept driving because I had my kids in the car,” he explained, emphasizing the instinct to prioritize his family’s safety.

What began as a minor altercation between two drivers quickly escalated, culminating in one party being shot.

Crime and safety expert Ken Jefferson remarked on the nature of such incidents, noting, “These things always start small and can quickly spiral into large, unpredictable situations.” His insights underscore the importance of staying calm and cautious when faced with road rage scenarios.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said a man in his 60s was following a driver in his 30s, identified as Terry Knight, after a heated exchange on the road. Knight drove, with the other driver following, to his place of work at Del-Air Heating and Air Conditioning on Philips Highway.

JSO said that’s when the two started arguing again, and Knight demanded the older man get out of his car. When he did, JSO said Knight grabbed his gun and shot him in the chest. He was arrested for attempted murder.

Crime and safety expert Jefferson said road rage incidents are common.

“If someone cuts them off or someone follows them too closely, tailgating…that upsets a lot of people,” Jefferson said. 

He added that if someone is asking you to pull over after an argument, they’re not looking to talk.

“Never accept an invitation to pull over because someone will ask you to pull over to discuss it; it’s not going to be a discussion, they want to put their hands on you because they’re angry or upset.”

He said if someone is following you after an argument, “don’t pull up in your driveway, don’t go home, keep driving, call the police and let them know what’s going on.”

He said to let the police know where you are, the description of your car, and the description of the car the person who is following you is driving. If you have to pull over, he recommends to only pull over into a heavily populated area to call the police.

He encourages people in that situation not to engage and to keep their doors locked.

“There’s been a point where I’ve yelled a couple times, and have been yelled at a couple times…at the end of the day, this is Florida, and you don’t know how people are going to react when you get out of the car…just go on about your business,” said Youngblood.