CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – A man opened fire with an AR-style rifle during a child custody exchange in a Clay County neighborhood, sending bullets into a vehicle and several homes, authorities said.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested 32-year-old Darrius Elighah Winard Kirkland in connection with the Friday evening shooting. He faces charges of attempted murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and child abuse.
Deputies said Kirkland accompanied his girlfriend to a scheduled custody exchange with her estranged husband. Investigators said Kirkland pointed a rifle at the father’s vehicle and fired several times. The father returned fire before running through nearby yards.
The mother was able to get both children to safety. No one was struck by gunfire, but bullets hit the father’s vehicle and several homes, authorities said.
One neighbor, who did not want to be identified, said her home was struck twice while her 8-year-old son was inside.
“It sounded like cannons coming to the door,” the woman said. “He said, ‘Mommy, are we going to die? I don’t want to die.’”
The woman said she and her son moved to the farthest part of the home. She later discovered bullets had gone through the door and wall, leaving holes throughout the area near her son’s closet.
The father later returned to the scene and surrendered to deputies, authorities said. Kirkland fled in his girlfriend’s vehicle, crashed into a tree and tried to hide in a nearby yard.
The crash sparked fires involving the vehicle, the tree and another unoccupied vehicle. Clay County Fire Rescue extinguished the fires.
Fire caused by a crash in Oakleaf. (Copyright 2026 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.)
A sheriff’s office K-9 team, with help from community members, found Kirkland. He was treated for injuries sustained during the incident before being arrested, authorities said.
A large section of Piedmont Manor Drive was shut down for several hours while detectives obtained search warrants and collected evidence from multiple scenes.
The investigation remains active. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Clay County Sheriff’s Office at 904-264-6512 and ask for Detective Sean Holmes. Tips can also be submitted through the SaferWatch app or First Coast Crime Stoppers
Copyright 2026 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.