CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – A child custody exchange turned violent Friday evening when two men opened fire on each other in a residential neighborhood, sending stray bullets into nearby homes with children present.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office says it responded to multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire on Bayridge Court in Oakleaf Plantation just before 5 p.m. Minutes later, additional calls came in about a vehicle that had crashed into a tree on Piedmont Manor Drive and a man running through a homeowner’s backyard.
Deputies move quickly to contain scene
Deputies immediately set up a perimeter and located everyone involved. Detectives followed up with interviews to piece together what led to the shooting.
“We learned that everyone was known to each other,” said Ben Ryan with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Unit. “There was a planned child custody exchange between two married but separated parents.”
According to the sheriff’s office, the woman’s current boyfriend and her legal husband both pulled out weapons and began shooting at each other — with the children present during the exchange.
“Thankfully, no one was shot,” the PIO said.
Stray bullets strike homes; suspects tracked down
Despite no injuries from gunfire, several homes in the area sustained damage from stray bullets. One suspect fled on foot through backyards in the cul-de-sac visible near the scene. The other suspect — the driver of the crashed vehicle — was located in a backyard on Piedmont Manor Drive with help from a K-9 unit and community members.
That suspect was transported to a local hospital for injuries to his lower extremities. Both men were detained, and the sheriff’s office says there is no ongoing threat to the community.
“This is still an active and ongoing situation and investigation,” the PIO added.
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