Late-night road rage shooting in Manatee County leaves Palmetto man hurt, police say
A 28-year-old Palmetto man was injured when another driver opened fire on his truck during a road rage incident early Saturday morning, police said.
Palmetto Police Department officers responded around 3:15 a.m. after a family member of the victim called 911, the agency said. The man’s family member reported that he had been shot at on U.S. 301 near the Walmart in Palmetto and was driving himself to Manatee Memorial Hospital, police said. The caller then disconnected and did not respond to follow-up calls, according to a news release.
Police said they found shell casings on the roadway and spoke with witnesses who reported hearing gunfire from the direction of U.S. 301. Officers also checked Manatee Memorial Hospital but said no gunshot victim ever arrived.
A short time later, Bradenton police officers searching the area around the hospital found a pickup truck with multiple bullet holes, which was later confirmed to be the victim’s vehicle, police said.
Palmetto police said they were then able to identify and speak with the victim, who had suffered a minor injury to his hand.
“We don’t know if it was a bullet fragment or a piece of glass or debris from his vehicle,” Palmetto Police Chief Scott Tyler said in an email.
Investigators say they also learned that the victim and the shooter are acquaintances, but they said the victim declined to name the shooter.
Police said they are following other leads to identify the shooter as the investigation continues.
This story was originally published February 24, 2025 at 3:48 PM.
