A woman checked out of a Florida hotel and informed staff she was going on a God-directed shooting rampage because of the solar eclipse, then shot two drivers on Interstate 10 before being captured and charged with attempted murder on Monday, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Taylon Nichelle Celestine, 22, of Georgia, entered the highway in the Florida Panhandle, 115 miles from the Alabama border, heading west. She was driving a purple Dodge Challenger with Georgia plates, according to officials.
Within 5 miles, she opened fire on a passing automobile four times, spraying auto glass and grazing the driver in the arm, according to the agency.
She then fired at a second vehicle, striking the driver in the neck. A hospital treated the driver who sustained injuries.
Troopers stopped the woman after she had driven for about 16 miles and discovered her carrying an AR-15 rifle and a 9mm handgun. She was arrested and put in Holmes County Jail. The charges against her included attempted murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and unauthorized discharge of a handgun.
The Florida Highway Patrol did not give information about Celestine’s bail or legal representation.
Although Florida was not in the path of totality, millions of people watched the eclipse as it moved across the country.
While officials did not predict a boost in crie during the eclipse, experts did warn that the rare occurrence could lead to an increase in deadly traffic accidents.
The U.S. saw a temporary but substantial increase in deadly car crashes during North America’s previous total solar eclipse in 2017, researchers said in a letter published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. It is unclear if there were any fatal crashes related to the eclipse on Monday.
