Bay Minette Man Charged in 18-Wheeler Shooting on Highway 59, Sheriff’s Office Says
A 23-year-old Bay Minette man is charged with discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle after a bullet struck an 18-wheeler on Highway 59, according to the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office.
BAY MINETTE, Ala. — A Bay Minette man is accused in an 18-wheeler shooting on Alabama Highway 59 last week that the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office described as a random act of violence.
Jason Chandler, 23, was arrested Monday, Nov. 2, on a charge of discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle, according to the sheriff’s office and records.
A loud pop on the highway
The driver, Leon Hayden, told the sheriff’s office he was headed north on Highway 59, north of Bay Minette, on Oct. 29 when he heard a loud popping sound and pulled off the road to check his truck. He had not been in any kind of altercation with another driver, he said.
A large-caliber projectile was recovered from the floor of the cab between the driver and passenger seats, and there appeared to be a bullet hole on the outside of the driver’s side of the cab, according to the sheriff’s office.
Truck video and distinctive decals
Hayden’s employer pulled video from the truck. According to the sheriff’s office, it showed what appeared to be a dark-colored Chevrolet Avalanche headed south past the 18-wheeler around the time the bullet struck.
The footage did not show a license plate, but it did show two large, distinctive white decals on the vehicle’s rear glass. Investigators sent a description to surrounding law enforcement agencies to help identify it.
On Monday morning, a deputy spotted a vehicle matching the description and called an investigator. They went to the residence where it was parked and saw a large-caliber handgun on the front passenger seat as they walked past the vehicle, the sheriff’s office said.
What investigators say happened next
Chandler, the homeowner, was contacted shortly afterward. According to the sheriff’s office, he said he owned the Avalanche and admitted shooting the handgun at the 18-wheeler on Oct. 29. Investigators said he offered no explanation other than calling it a random act.
The sheriff’s office said it believes the shooting was an isolated incident and that there is no danger to the public at large. Chandler is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
