Ex-couple’s dispute leads to gunfire and car pinning woman to house, FL cops say

A former couple’s volatile encounter on a Saturday night sparked a violent series of mishaps, the last of which involved someone being pinned to a house with a car, according to investigators in Florida.

That car was driven not by either of the exes, but by an intoxicated acquaintance, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said in a Monday, July 21, news release.

The confrontation happened July 19 when a 21-year-old woman showed up to “reclaim some items” left at her ex-boyfriend’s home in Hawthorne, the sheriff’s office said.

“It ended with (the woman) in the hospital, her drunk wingman in jail and several bullet holes in a vehicle,” officials said.

The vehicle was driven by 20-year-old Shuntel Rose Johnson of Ocala, who accompanied the woman trying to reclaim her stuff, officials said. However, Johnson took on a more active role as the situation worsened, officials said.

“The (two women) entered the building and began ripping tiles off the walls. When the victim attempted to intervene, both women began hitting him,” the sheriff’s office said.

“The victim retrieved a gun to scare (the women) and when the duo attempted to take away the firearm, it went off, sending a round into the ceiling. The victim was able to get both women out of the residence.”

It was during the brawl that the man’s 4-year-old ran outside for help, and was quickly scooped up by his ex-girlfriend, officials said.

“Johnson, for no known reason, got into the driver’s side of the vehicle they arrived in and started driving toward them both,” the sheriff’s office said.

The vehicle struck the woman holding the child, “pinning her to the porch of the residence” and breaking her leg, officials said. The child was not injured.

“The victim saw Johnson driving toward his child and began shooting at the vehicle in an attempt to make her stop,” the sheriff’s office said.

The driver of the vehicle escaped injury and was arrested, taken to Putnam County Jail and charged with:

• Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Driving under the influence with property damage
• Two counts of aggravated battery
• Two counts of burglary with battery

The 21-year-old Ocala woman identified as the man’s ex-girlfriend was taken to a hospital and will face charges after being released, officials said.

Hawthorne is about a 70-mile drive southwest from Jacksonville.

This story was originally published July 21, 2025 at 12:56 PM with the headline "Ex-couple’s dispute leads to gunfire and car pinning woman to house, FL cops say."