Driver charged with manslaughter in road rage shooting death

A 30-year-old Gainesville man was arrested and charged with manslaughter in a road rage shootout that left one man dead and a toddler unarmed through the gunfire. Brad Andrew Lippincot was also charged with discharging a firearm from a vehicle within 1,000 feet of a person, according to a report in the Florida Times-Union. Lippincot and Kahron Ali Warnke, 33, got in an argument when both were driving on the Westside and both pulled into the parking lot of a barbecue restaurant. Both men fired shots in the confrontation. Warnke tried to drive away from the gunfire, but was shot and ran his car into a nearby vacant house. A young child in his car was not injured in the shooting or the car, according to the newspaper report. Many details have yet to emerge, including who fired first and what exactly happened on the road to touch off the violent chain of events. But the charge against Lippincot is telling: manslaughter. That can, of course, change and can be upgraded to murder. But what it shows at this early phase is that police think Lippincot and Warnke essentially got in a fight, albeit with gunfire and Warnke was killed.

Lippincot’s defense will likely include some interpretation of the “stand your ground” law that has come under fire since an unarmed 17-year-old was shot by an Orlando-area neighborhood watch captain. The law allows people to use deadly force is they reasonably believe they are in immediate danger of being killed or suffering great bodily harm. One hurdle for Lippincot will be explaining why he went to the restaurant parking lot. It appears he at least had the opportunity then to keep driving and leave the confrontation but did not, which could harm the “stand your ground” defense. Details that show motive and possible self-defense angles are key in cases like this. Our Jacksonville violent crimes defense attorney is well-versed in sorting through the details and spotting what can be used to build a case around.

If you or a loved one needs a manslaughter attorney in Jacksonville or the surrounding area, call The Mussallem Law Firm, PA at (904) 365-5200 for a free consultation. Our Duval County criminal lawyer is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.