Couple Who Opened Fire on Black Man and 10-Year-Old Son Who Were Returning U-Haul Get 33 Months in Prison
According to a news release issued by authorities in Florida, a White couple who shot at a Black man and his young son while they were dropping off a moving truck was found guilty of three counts of aggravated assault and given a sentence of nearly three years in prison.Jail records indicate Beverly and Wallace Fountain of Tallahassee, Fla., are in custody.
The couple pleaded no contest to the charges, and a judge adjudicated them guilty and sentenced them to 33 months behind bars, the Tallahassee Democrat reports. According to the outlet, in August 2020, the Fountains were surveilling a strip mall they owned because of vandalism and thefts they said had been happening. While Charles McMillon, Jr., and his then-10-year-old were returning a U-Haul truck to the strip mall, the couple fired shots at the father and son.
The outlet reports the McMillons managed to escape physically unharmed, but were deeply shaken by the violent incident.According to the McMillon’s attorney, Charles Gee, “the sentencing of the Fountains has provided the family with a sense of closure after enduring such a harrowing experience,” a news release reads.
“The family is grateful that justice has been served, and they hope that their story can serve as a reminder of the importance of seeking justice for victims and their families,” it continues.
As convicted felons, the Fountains “will never be able to possess a firearm, bringing a measure of justice to the family and to the community at large,” states the release. According to the Democrat, the Fountains plan to appeal.
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