Skip to main content
Fog icon
65º

Attempted murder suspect arrested

William Scott Howell, 51, arrested for attempted murder

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office announced via its Twitter feed Saturday afternoon that it has arrested a man suspected of attempted murder.

William Scott Howell, 51, got into an argument and shot two people last Sunday on Tintern Circle West, police said.  

Authorities said the man was able to take control of the gun and tried to leave with his wife.

Howell grabbed a second gun and followed the two outside, where he began firing shots, hitting both the man and the woman, police said. Both were taken to the hospital. 

Pamela Rosewell lives down the street from Howell. She said the two people shot are a married couple and were at Howell's home for a party.

"I talked to his next door neighbor and it was a party that had gone bad," Rosewell said. "They're partying, usually in the backyard, and it's usually fighting and something going on constantly."

Howell has several arrests on his record. He was charged with making threats and violating an injunction back in July. He's been served with three other injunctions, one of which was from his ex-wife. Among his other arrests are aggravated assault, domestic battery, battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting police.

"There's a lot of elderly people here and we've all been pretty scared of him, so we're relieved that he is gone," Rosewell said.

The man and woman shot are expected to be OK.

Howell is being held on $500,000 bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for Dec. 13