Family of woman critically injured in Oviedo road rage shooting demands answers
An apparent road rage shooting happened late during the Tuesday evening rush hour in Oviedo. The suspect was arrested and charged.
Relatives say the victim, 41-year-old Actavia Beard, is in critical but stable condition.
She underwent surgery Tuesday and her family has been keeping a close watch on her.
They're hurt and asking why did this happen?
"I can't imagine just having a confrontation with someone and your life is almost over,” the victim’s sister, Tiffany Beard, said.
Tiffany Beard says her sister was shot in the torso and has undergone surgery. She lost a kidney and suffered damage to another organ.
“When I saw her yesterday, she got about two words in, yeah," Tiffany Beard said.
Actavia Beard was driving her sister's silver Toyota south on Mitchell Hammock Road around 6:30 p.m. and had stopped for a red light.
Witnesses say the driver behind her honked aggressively, then the two vehicles came to another red light.
Actavia Beard, who eventually got out of the car, and 22-year-old Keegan Johnson who was in the passenger seat of another vehicle got into an argument.
“The dark-colored Chrysler threw something at the woman. She then got very aggressive and picked up whatever it was and threw it at them in the car. Then that's when the dark Chrysler shot them, heard two pops and she's on the ground,” a 911 caller said.
Johnson stood before a judge Wednesday.
He faces aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and attempted homicide charges.
Actavia Beard, who is from the Bronx, New York, is the middle child of 18 siblings and they all want to know why this happened.
“What was it? Did she scare you that much? What happened? What made you pull a gun to a female after you were throwing water bottles?" Tiffany Beard said.
Johnson told police Actavia Beard began to punch him, so he fired his weapon. But witnesses and a witness's cell phone video did not show any punches.
"I don't think whatever she did warranted using deadly force,” Chief Dale Coleman with Oviedo Police Department said.
Tiffany Beard says her family is grateful for the witnesses who stayed, called for help and was able to give police information on the other vehicle.
The driver of the other car was not charged.