Road Rage Culminates In Gunfight In Ionia, Mich., Leaves 2 Drivers Dead
An incident of road rage, which later escalated into a gunfight, resulted in the deaths of two drivers in Ionia, Mich., on Wednesday evening, according to reports.
Police officials told the media that James Pullum, 43, and Robert Taylor, 56, shot at each other at about 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the driveway of Wonder Wand car wash in Ionia, about 30 miles northwest of Lansing.
Pullum had two passengers in his car, and they weren’t hurt in the shooting.
“Officers arrived on scene to find two male subjects with gunshot wounds,” Ionia police told The Detroit News. “Both subjects were given medical attention and were transported to Sparrow Ionia Hospital by Life EMS ... both were pronounced deceased at the hospital.”
Both men had valid licenses to carry concealed weapons. The shooting is currently being investigated by the Ionia Department of Public Safety, Michigan State Police crime lab and the Ionia County Sheriff's Office.
According to multiple reports, the shooting incident stemmed from an earlier confrontation the men had on a highway. A USA Today report cited witnesses as saying that one of the two drivers was following the other very closely when the first driver pulled into the car wash, followed by the second driver.
“It is so ridiculous that someone could take someone's life over road rage!” Bryant Flinn, Pullum’s nephew, wrote on his Facebook page. “To pull a gun on someone for such a little thing is just mind blowing.”
Citing state driving records, the Detroit News reported that in June, Pullum had a violation for not obeying a traffic light, and in 2006, Taylor was charged for driving under the influence and was given a restricted license for six months.
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