The suspect of the I-4 shooting last Saturday has already turned himself in to authorities, with Police calling the incident a case of mistaken identity.
Over the weekend, a man was shot dead at a Florida highway after the suspect, now identified as Jerome Edward Hayes, mistaken the victim for someone he had fought with at a Tampa strip club.
According to The Examiner, Fred William Turner Jr. was on his way to Orlando via I-4, when he noticed a car following him. Seeing that Hayes, who was following Turner's Mustang, had a gun, the victim quickly called 911 for help. The report says Turner told the 911 operator that he was on I-4 and was scared of getting shot. However, even before the 911 call ended, the operator heard gunshots that led to Turner's death.
Initial claims said the incident was caused by road rage; however, during the 911 call, Turner told the operator he has "done nothing to warrant this car following him," Examiner noted.
Confirming Turner's words, Hayes told the police upon his surrender that the crime was more of mistaken identity. The Examiner wrote:
Jerome Hayes turned himself into the Hillsborough Sheriffs Department on Monday morning. Hayes had crossed paths with Turner at a nightclub. Hayes had a fight with a man at a nightclub. He and a friend waited for the man to leave to follow him.
The man heard Hayes was waiting for got wind that Hayes was outside, so he stayed in the club. At the same time, Turner, who was also in the night club left. Hayes mistook Turner for the man in the club and Hayes and his buddy followed him in the car..
Driving a Ford Taurus, Hayes shot Turner, who was able to pull over to the side of the highway before being found dead by authorities
According to the New York Daily News, Hayes has surrendered to authorities Monday morning and is now being held without bail on a first-degree murder charge.
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