81-Year-Old Florida Man Shoots at Ex-Wife’s Family During Estate Dispute, Faces Attempted Murder Charge

An elderly man was arrested for attempted murder in Florida after an alleged shooting during a family dispute.

MICANOPY, FLORIDA- An elderly man is facing serious charges after allegedly opening fire on his deceased ex-wife’s family members during a dispute over her estate. The violent confrontation unfolded in the quiet town of Micanopy, roughly 10 miles south of Gainesville, and nearly ended in tragedy.

81-year-old John Morgan Webb has been arrested and charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault following the incident, which occurred just before 1 p.m. on Thursday. According to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, Webb’s ex-wife had recently passed away, and her daughters and son-in-law arrived at her residence to begin clearing out belongings in preparation for selling the home.

When the family pulled into the driveway, they noticed Webb’s vehicle parked outside. The daughters told deputies Webb was not supposed to be at the house, especially since the couple had divorced in 1998, over two decades earlier.

One of the daughters began recording video on her phone as the group entered the home, calling out for Webb. Inside the living room, they encountered the 81-year-old, who allegedly reacted with shocking violence.

According to the arrest affidavit, Webb pulled out a revolver and fired a shot into the ceiling. As the family turned to flee, Webb allegedly shouted, “No, don’t move, you've got to die first.”

The terrified family ran out of the home and jumped into their car. As they reversed out of the driveway, Webb allegedly pursued them on foot and fired multiple rounds at the vehicle. The bullets struck the car several times, hitting the engine and turning it off, but miraculously, none of the family members were injured.

Webb fled the scene by car but was later tracked down and arrested by law enforcement officers.

After being read his Miranda rights, Webb allegedly claimed that he was being “harassed” by his ex-wife’s relatives. He told deputies, “They come in threatening me and I fired a shot in the air, then fired some into the radiator of their car, period.”

Deputies determined that the family’s approach was “non-confrontational and non-hostile,” and Webb’s actions — particularly the discharge of a firearm toward a moving vehicle — showed a “depraved mind without regard to human life,” the affidavit stated.

Alachua County Sheriff Captain Chris Sims addressed the public following the incident, emphasizing how close the encounter came to turning deadly.

“Had those rounds impacted maybe just a couple more inches up, unfortunately, you probably would’ve had a catastrophic incident where multiple victims would have been harmed,” Sims said.“I think it’s important to remember that there are no age restrictions on people who make poor decisions or try to harm someone.”

Webb remains in custody at the Alachua County Jail without bond as the investigation continues.