A Florida man has been charged with attempted first-degree murder after he reportedly shot a landscaper — and the reason why is nothing short of ridiculous. The Daily Mail reports that Max Horton is incredibly protective of his car , but his territorial behavior has gotten him into quite a bind.
The incident reportedly took place on Thursday when an Avon Park landscaper was mowing grass near the vicinity of the elderly man’s vehicle. However, when mere clippings of grass hit Horton’s car, he flew into a violent rage and began threatening the landscaper. Things escalated, and 91-year-old Max Horton ordered the man to get on his knees at gunpoint.
While the landscaper begged for his life, the Florida man took aim at his head, indicating full intent to murder the man for getting lawn clippings on his Cadillac. If it weren’t for the heroic actions of another landscaper who was nearby, the man may have been successful in shooting him. He fired a round from the gun, but missed. New York Daily News reports that the two landscapers were able to wrestle the elderly man down and hold him until police arrived at the scene. They were also able to disarm him to prevent him from firing his weapon a second time.
During the incident, Horton suffered some minor injuries and required hospitalization. However, in a not-so-surprising turn of events, he was not able to go to his local hospital. That’s because he had previously threatened medical staff with his gun. Neighbors of the elderly man expressed no surprise at the incident which took place on Thursday. He’s been known in his neighborhood to “flip out,” or “get angry for no reason.” His wife of nearly 70 years also told authorities that he has always been a violent person.
This is just one of many violent stories coming out of Florida in recent years, with the “#FloridaMan” hashtag continually trending on social media. Last year, a man named Tilus Lebrun fatally stabbed a restaurant owner in Palm Beach County after the man reportedly took his photo without asking for his permission. This year, another Florida man fatally shot a man in front of his family during a road rage incident that escalated beyond the point of reason. After the violent shooting, which took place in front of the victim’s wife and child, the shooter was still released on bond and only faced charges of second-degree murder.
[Photo: Highland County Sheriff’s Office mugshot / Max Horton]
