Shortly after Tuesday’s Trump rally in Bay County, Florida, two men started wielding a hand gun and yelling profanities at five individuals who had just stopped for gas after leaving the rally. Three adults and two juveniles were traveling together and were wearing Trump t-shirts. The two men approached them and began yelling profanities at them because of their t-shirts. The five then pledged their support for Trump and jumped into a black Jeep and headed down Highway 231.
Shortly after leaving the gas station the victims saw a grey Chevrolet Tahoe following them. When they stopped at a red light, the Tahoe pulled up next to them and the driver pointed a silver handgun at them. Terrified, the victims raced off and fortunately, they saw a BCSO deputy that they were able to flag down. As they were telling the deputy what had just occurred, the suspects drove past them on the highway.
Although no shots were fired and no one was injured, the suspects were arrested and have been charged with felonies after threatening the Trump supporters. Deondra Lamar Fitzgerald, 20, was the driver of the Tahoe. He claimed he didn’t have any weapons in his car but police did confiscate three realistic air soft guns—including the silver one used to threaten the victims. They were found within arm’s reach of the driver and his passenger, Ozzie Cidon Anderson, 23.
It is considered a crime to wield a look-alike/replica gun (e. g. toy gun, air soft gun) in public. If a toy gun or replica gun is used to commit a crime, then that person is treated as though they had actually used a real firearm. Fitzgerald, the driver, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for pointing the air soft gun at the victims. Anderson was charged with principal to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
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