A road rage encounter on Highway 98 across Okaloosa Island turned violent Sunday when one of the individuals involved was shot in the roadway.
A Mary Esther man is now charged with aggravated battery causing great bodily harm. 41-year old Mario Aguirre Lopez was taken into custody in the parking lot of a Fort Walton Beach car dealership after a witness to the shooting followed the suspect’s white Ram pickup truck westbound on 98 and called 9-1-1 with information.
Lopez denied any involvement, however the ammunition in a loaded Glock handgun found in his truck with one missing round in the magazine matched the casing found at the crime scene, containing the imprint “WMA 14” and a NATO head stamp as well as a red primer seal.
Witnesses say the two vehicles had been passing and aggressively “brake checking ” each other as they drove across Okaloosa Island.
The 38 year old victim from Byhalia Mississippi is undergoing treatment at an area hospital for a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
Navarre Newspaper reminds our readers that Mario Aguirre Lopez is presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
