Florida state attorney warns drivers as road rage gun incidents rise in Central Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. – After a string of road rage arrests in Central Florida where drivers were accused of pulling guns on others, Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Monique Worrell is urging caution on the roads.

Worrell said she believes it is safer for drivers to assume others may be armed.

“It’s really just the terrifying reality that we are dealing with today,” Worrell said. “I want this road rage not to become normalized.”

She added that even she has experienced frustration on the road. In one case, she said two cars blocked her from merging. Instead of reacting, she reminded herself to “inhale, exhale and keep moving.”

Worrell stressed that displaying a firearm during a road confrontation carries serious criminal consequences, especially as more Floridians legally carry guns under the state’s new open-carry law.

“What we are seeing is an increase in people having access to firearms, and those people sometimes don’t have the training that is required to understand and appreciate the responsibility of gun ownership,” she said. “The more guns we introduce into our community, then the more gun violence we are going to see.”

If confronted by an armed driver, Worrell advises motorists to disengage.

“Get out of that situation as quickly as you possibly can. Don’t engage. Don’t respond. Call law enforcement. Report the individual and don’t try to take matters into your own hands,” she said.