An 84-year-old Florida father shot his son in the face during a heated argument over how often the victim visited his mother, who is in hospice, according to reports.
William Nowak was arrested and charged with attempted murder after the shooting unfolded inside his Palm Bay home Tuesday evening.
Police were called to the house when the victim’s wife frantically reported that her father-in-law had “just shot her husband in the head,” according to an affidavit obtained by Law and Crime.
When officers arrived, the wounded man was barely able to speak. The bullet had shattered on impact and lodged into his face and jaw, the affidavit said.
Nowak lives with his wife and disabled daughter, with his spouse recently been placed in in-home hospice care. The gun-wielding dad had been “taking care of both of them,” police wrote.
Nowak’s son and daughter-in-law visited the home frequently, but when they arrived around 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nowak “began to express how he was upset they did not visit over the weekend,” court filings said.
The discussion quickly spiraled into an argument, where at one point Nowak allegedly warned his son, “Get out of my house, or I’m going to shoot you,” the affidavit read.
Nowak then walked into his bedroom and retrieved a gun. The victim’s wife followed Nowak, pleading with him to put the weapon down, but Nowak ignored her and marched toward his son, police said.
Nowak allegedly fired the gun, striking his son in the face.
After the shooting, Nowak returned the weapon to his bedroom and appeared confused, saying, “What just happened?” before “crying and screaming,” the affidavit said.
When cops arrived, they discovered a wet substance, presumed to be blood, on the kitchen floor and a single bullet casing.
“A gun was found on the bed in Nowak’s bedroom, and suspected blood was also seen on the driveway,” police wrote.
Nowak was taken to the hospital for high blood pressure and “appeared to be incoherent and could not answer any questions,” investigators noted.
The current condition of his son, who has not been identified, was not immediately known.
Nowak was medically cleared Wednesday and booked into the Brevard County Jail, where a judge ordered him held without bond.
The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
Nowak is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 8, court records show.
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