‘You got to die.’ 81-year-old shoots at heirs of ex-wife’s estate, FL cops say
An 81-year-old man ambushed the heirs of his ex-wife’s estate, opening fire inside her home and shooting at them as they tried to escape, Florida deputies told news outlets.
According to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, the incident happened before 1 p.m. Thursday, May 22, in Micanopy, the Alachua Chronicle reported.
The group “had gone to clean a residence they currently own in preparation for selling it” but an armed man, John Webb, was already inside, according to a sheriff’s office news release.
Webb was the previous owner’s husband, but they divorced in 1998, the Alachua Chronicle reported.
Deputies said the family members saw his vehicle outside when they arrived at the home and were recording video as they went inside, then found him in the living room, the outlet reported.
They told Webb “he was not supposed to be there,” according to deputies. Webb pulled a revolver out of his pants and shot into the ceiling, deputies said.
The group ran out of the home and Webb called out for them to stop, saying “No, don’t move; you got to die first,” the sheriff’s office said.
They got into a vehicle and Webb fired several more shots as they drove away, striking the engine, which caused the vehicle to break down on a nearby road, according to deputies.
“Webb left the scene in his vehicle but was later intercepted by deputies. A high-risk traffic stop was conducted, and Webb was detained without incident,” the sheriff’s office said.
Webb was arrested on charges of aggravated assault and attempted murder, deputies said.
Deputies say the encounter with Webb could have easily ended in tragedy, WCJB reported.
“Had those rounds impacted maybe just a couple more inches up, unfortunately, you probably would’ve had a catastrophic incident where multiple victims would have been harmed,” Cpt. Chris Sims, of the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, told the station.
Micanopy is a roughly 10-mile drive southeast from Gainesville.
This story was originally published May 25, 2025 at 1:11 PM with the headline "‘You got to die.’ 81-year-old shoots at heirs of ex-wife’s estate, FL cops say."