Family Vacation Ends When Son Shoots, Kills Father (ICYMI)

PERRY, GA — A family vacation to Florida ended in violence in Georgia when a son shot and killed his father during a fight alongside Interstate 75.

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the family, from Birmingham, Alabama, had ended their vacation to Orlando early last Tuesday because of arguing between the father, 40-year-old Daniel Lee Young, Jr. and his son, 21-year-old Deontae Young.

There were eight people in the family's rented Ford Expedition, GBI Special Agent In Charge J.T. Ricketson said, including Deontae Young's three children. All of the children were younger than 5 years old.

Shortly before midnight, Daniel Young told his wife, who was driving, to pull over in Peach County, just south of Macon. He got out of the vehicle and continued yelling at Deontae before getting back in and starting to hit him.

"The father leaned through the two front seats into the back seat ... and it advanced into a physical altercation," Ricketson said. "He started swinging and punching and striking at Deontae."

According to Ricketson, Daniel Young had been drinking alcohol during the day leading up to the shooting.

Deontae Young had a small handgun on him, Ricketson said. He pulled the gun and shot his father twice in the chest. The elder man fell out of the vehicle and onto Interstate 75.

Deontae Young's girlfriend called 911, according to Ricketson, and when an officer arrived, Deontae Young and his brother helped the officer move Daniel Young's body off of the highway. The officer attempted to administer CPR until emergency workers arrived, but Daniel Young was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Deontae Young has been charged with murder in the shooting. Ricketson said a prosecutor will determine whether to proceed with that charge or change it.

"A prosecutor will take all of our facts that we found and take it in its totality and they will make the determination whether they feel like there was justification or not," he said. "It could go anywhere from the charges being dismissed to (a charge of) murder.

"It's just a tragic ending to a family vacation," Ricketson said. "It's awful that it degraded down to that level."

Photo via Patch/ Renee Schiavone