A Florida man is standing trial this week after being accused of shooting his date following an argument over a dinner bill, which is raising new questions about online dating safety.
According to CBS News affiliate Action News Jax in Jacksonville, Jamal Moreland is charged with attempted armed robbery and attempted first-degree murder after he met his date on Grindr, the LGBTQ+ dating app, in February 2023.
“Your job is ultimately to weigh that evidence,” defense attorney Deana Duncan told the jury. “We’re confident you’ll be left with doubts… based on reason and common sense.”
“He went on a date that almost became the date on his tombstone… almost killed him,” prosecutor Crystal Lorraine Ganpath-Freed said in court.
A first date almost turns deadly
Investigators said Moreland and his date went to a bowling alley and later to a local liquor store on Feb. 19, 2023. At some point, Moreland ordered food and wanted his date to pay, but when his date refused, prosecutors said Moreland became agitated, Action News Jax reported.
The date told police he dropped off Moreland but later picked him up after Moreland texted him and asked for $45, claiming he had just gotten a ticket. Shortly after, prosecutors said Moreland opened fire inside his date’s truck, striking his arm and chest, Action News Jax reported.
Moreland’s date managed to drive away but crashed into a ditch and was rushed to the hospital. According to 104.5 WOKV, a Jacksonville news radio station, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to the hospital to investigate but the date was in “too much pain to speak with police for a very long time.”
According to Action News Jax, prosecutors said surveillance video and shell casings linked Moreland to the alleged shooting. A JSO analyst reviewed the video and identified Moreland in the video, 104.5 WOKV reported.
As the trial gets underway, Action News Jax reported that the case serves as a reminder to use extra caution when meeting someone for the first time through a dating app.
