A driver shot in Orlando and who later died may have been the victim of mistaken identity, according to reports this week.
The victim, Fred William Turner Jr, was shot on I-4 near Orlando on Saturday. His alleged assailant, Jerome Edward Hayes, 48, turned himself into authorities on Tuesday, according to MyFoxOrlando.com.
Hayes, who said he mistook Turner for someone else, was denied bond by a judge and was charged with first-degree murder.
Police originally suspected that road rage was the cause of the shooting.
“The victim was mistaken for an individual who was involved in an altercation with the suspect’s friend inside the Gold Club,” Hillsborough Sheriff’s Col. Donna Lusczynski told Fox.
Turner was on the phone with a 911 dispatcher, telling authorities he was being followed. Dispatchers said they heard multiple gunshots soon after, according to the station.
Turner said that he did not know why he was being followed.
“The caller stated that he had done nothing to cause someone to follow him,” Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Debbie Carter told WFTV.
I-4 was closed down for several hours on Saturday as police investigated.
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