GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A Gainesville man is facing two attempted murder charges after a shooting Tuesday night that injured a 1-year-old boy and his father, the Gainesville Police Department said.
Police said Darrell Wilson, 26, fired two shots at Torrance Lee while Lee was holding his son in his arms. The boy was hit in the face and Lee was hit in the abdomen, police said.
"I can not believe. I can not understand. I can't fathom why someone would look anywhere towards the area of a child, an infant, a baby and make a decision to pull the trigger," GPD spokesman Officer Ben Tobias said.
According to Wilson's arrest report, Lee and the boy's mother, Naya Lee, were dropping the boy off at Wilson's house Tuesday night to be babysat when Wilson got offended seeing Torrance Lee hugging and kissing the boy.
Wilson, who had babysat the child before and was reportedly in a relationship with Naya Lee, grabbed the boy out of Torrance Lee's hands, according to the report.
Wilson's family told News4Jax that they thought Wilson was the child's father, not Torrance Lee, and that Lee had never been to the house before. They said they are hiring an attorney.
According to the report, Torrance Lee got out of the car to ask Wilson what was wrong, and Naya Lee took the child from Wilson and handed him to Torrance Lee to hold.
As she was doing that, Wilson got a handgun and fired the two shots, police said.
The boy and Torrance Lee were both wounded and were taken to a hospital for treatment. Lee was reportedly in stable condition as the bullet missed all internal organs, and the infant suffered a non-life-threatening injury, police said.
"Had it been a few inches one way or another, there would have been a dead infant on scene," Tobias said. "So I am so thankful, as a father, that this kid is still alive, and I am happy that the man that is allegedly responsible for this is in jail today."
Police said Wilson admitted to firing the shots and that he told investigators “he acted in self-defense because (Torrance Lee) walked toward him with a mean look on his face.”
Police said a handgun believed to have been used in the shooting was found in Wilson's home.
Wilson is being held without bond in the Alachua County Jail.
Members of Wilson's family said they love the child and his mother and just want the situation resolved peacefully.