A Tennessee man is accused of fatally shooting a mother and injuring a toddler during a road rage incident while the family was heading home from a visit with Santa, according to investigators.
Deputies with the Hardin County Sheriff's Department reportedly found Zoe Johnson, 24, and her 3-year-old child suffering from gunshot injuries on Dec. 15. They were taken to a hospital, where Johnson was pronounced dead and the toddler was said to have critical injuries, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Johnson and her family had reportedly been on their way home from Christmas-themed activities when the road rage incident occurred. Deputes said the family called emergency services after a pickup truck began following them and fired gunshots, as reported by WMC-TV.
"They were out doing what families do in December. They were spending time with Santa... Family stuff, Christmas stuff. And moments later, a bullet shattered all of that," Burton Staggs, a spokesperson for the family, told the outlet.
Authorities identified Clint Newton, 42, as the prime suspect, and arrested him after obtaining a warrant. He has been charged with second-degree murder and was booked into Hardin County Jail.
A GoFundMe has been set up for the family to help cover medical and funeral expenses.
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