Couple gets in fight on drive, then man shoots girlfriend in face, FL officials say

A couple argued on their drive home, then the boyfriend shot his girlfriend in the face, Florida authorities said.

A jury now has convicted 46-year-old Eddie Harrell of attempted second-degree murder with a firearm and shooting into an occupied vehicle, according to the State Attorney’s Office for the Second Judicial Circuit.

McClatchy News reached out to Harrell’s attorney for comment April 22 but did not immediately receive a response.

Harrell, of Georgia, told authorities his girlfriend was shot by accident during an argument as they struggled for control of his revolver while she was driving on April 10, 2022, deputies with the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a probable cause affidavit.

He told deputies that earlier in the day, they went to Red Lobster in Tallahassee, and his girlfriend got upset about him looking at women, according to the affidavit.

After dinner, they went to Harrell’s cousin’s, then she left briefly and returned before Harrell got in the car with her and they started driving back toward Georgia, they each told investigators.

In the car, they started arguing again, then their accounts of what happened next diverged, according to the affidavit. Each said the other grabbed Harrell’s gun first.

Prosecutors said the woman pulled into the parking lot of a country store, then Harrell put his gun under her chin and pulled the trigger.

While unable to speak, the woman communicated in writing two months later that “she didn’t see feel the bullet but (saw) a dark purple rainbow pattern then a white clear light,” according to the affidavit. Then she “immediately felt her jaw drop down to her chest,” deputies wrote.

Harrell spoke with investigators while the woman was airlifted to a hospital, deputies said.

“The victim suffered severe injuries to her jaw, mouth and tongue, but survived,” prosecutors said. “After an extensive recovery, she was able to testify before a jury on Tuesday, April 15, just over 3 years since the incident.”

The jury deliberated for about 45 minutes before finding him guilty on both charges April 15.

Harrell is scheduled for sentencing in June.

Gadsden County lies on the border of Georgia and is part of the Tallahassee metropolitan area.

This story was originally published April 22, 2025 at 3:35 PM with the headline "Couple gets in fight on drive, then man shoots girlfriend in face, FL officials say."