A woman was arrested Monday and charged with attempted murder after shooting two drivers on a Florida highway. The woman claimed she was directed by God to go on a shooting spree in relation to Monday’s solar eclipse.
In a press release following the shooting incident on Monday, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles stated, “Today, Florida Highway Patrol Troopers responded to a report of an active shooter in Holmes County. The suspect was reportedly a female who had recently checked out of a local hotel and told the staff she was going on a shooting spree, directed by ‘God’ in relation to the solar eclipse.”
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles explained that 22-year-old Taylon Nichelle Celestine entered Interstate 10 at the 112-mile marker traveling west in Florida. The suspect was driving a purple Doge Challenger and had Georgia license plates.
According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, within the first five miles of traveling on Interstate 10, Celestine fired “multiple shots” toward another vehicle and struck the car “multiple times.”
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“The driver was struck by glass fragments from the window and grazed on the arm by a bullet; however, he was able to steer his vehicle onto the shoulder of the road, away from the suspect,” the department said. “Continuing westbound on I-10, the suspect shot at another vehicle near the 107- mile marker, hitting the driver in the neck. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital and is currently receiving treatment.”
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles explained that responding law enforcement officers located Celestine near the 96-mile marker on the highway and executed a felony traffic stop. The troopers discovered an AR-15 and a 9mm handgun inside the suspect’s vehicle.
Celestine was subsequently arrested and taken to the Holmes County Jail, where she was charged with the improper discharge of a firearm, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and attempted murder.
According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, the Florida Highway Patrol Bureau of Investigations and Intelligence is currently conducting an investigation into Monday’s shooting incident. The department noted that additional details will be released as the investigation continues.
