A Florida man is facing nearly 20 felony charges after allegedly shooting at his ex-girlfriend, hitting her 7-year-old son, because he thought she had another man in her car.
Sammie Underwood III, 32, was arrested on Monday, two days after being named a suspect in an alleged shooting involving his ex-girlfriend and her two children.
According to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, police responded to reports of a shooting in Panama City on the night of August 9 and discovered that a 7-year-old boy had been transported to a local hospital with a gunshot wound.
After speaking with the boy’s mother, police discovered that she was Underwood’s former girlfriend, whom he allegedly confronted during a meeting at WS Crab House.
According to the arrest paperwork reviewed by Law&Crime, Underwood accused his ex of having another man in her car.
According to the affidavit, the woman denied being with another man and told him she was at the restaurant with her two children. Underwood reportedly “became extremely irate,” prompting the woman to get back in her car with her children and drive away.
According to police, Underwood then got into his car and began following the family, allegedly “attempted to run her off the road.” While driving, Underwood allegedly opened fire on them with a semi-automatic handgun.
According to the affidavit, Underwood “fired multiple rounds into the air” during the car chase, then pulled up alongside the woman’s vehicle and “brandished a firearm.”
The woman reported hearing one shot, followed by the sound of her son “screaming.” Her other child informed her that they “saw blood.” When the mother realized her son had been shot, she drove to her sister’s house nearby. The two sisters took the 7-year-old to the hospital, where he was treated for a gunshot wound to the shoulder.
Police said the bullet “struck bone before lodging in the middle of his back.” The boy is expected to recover.
According to the mother, Underwood drove away following the alleged shooting. He was found at an apartment two days later and arrested without incident. Police discovered a number of narcotics in his possession at the time of his arrest.
The Bay County Sheriff’s Office also arrested 31-year-old Ricki Brown, who allegedly assisted Underwood in fleeing the area and allowed him to hide at her home to avoid arrest.
She also allegedly assisted Underwood in disposing of his gun. Brown was charged with accessory after the fact to a second-degree felony, probation violation, and possession of marijuana. She is being held at the Bay County Jail on a $100,000 bond.
Underwood is facing 17 felony charges, including four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, discharging a firearm from a vehicle, discharging a firearm into an occupied conveyance, five drug charges, and leaving the scene of an accident. He is being held without bond in the Bay County Jail.
