An American woman from Georgia, Taylon Nichelle Celestine, went on a shooting spree after claiming she received instructions from God.
According to the New York Post, the 22-year-old left her motel in Holmes County and informed staff that she was embarking on a God-directed shooting spree due to the solar eclipse.
She proceeded to drive her purple Dodge Challenger towards the highway, located 115 miles (180 kilometers) from the Alabama border. Within 5 miles (8 kilometers), she fired multiple shots at a passing car, shattering auto glass and grazing the driver’s arm, as stated by the police department.
The driver managed to pull over onto the shoulder of the road.
Subsequently, she targeted a second vehicle, injuring the driver in the neck. The wounded driver was transported to a local hospital for medical attention.
The woman behind the wheel didn’t halt her reckless behaviour, driving until highway patrol troopers apprehended her near the 96-mile marker and conducted a traffic stop. Authorities confiscated an AR-15 rifle and a 9mm handgun from the vehicle.
The Florida Highway Patrol reported that the woman was taken into custody and charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and improper discharge of a firearm. The police are currently conducting a thorough investigation into the incident.
On Monday, numerous astronomy enthusiasts across the United States gathered on the streets to witness the total solar eclipse and attempted to capture the rare celestial event on their electronic devices.
Nearly 32 million individuals were within the path of totality as the moon’s shadow crossed the Mexico-Texas border around midday and journeyed through 15 states over the following hour and a half.
Festivals, viewing parties, and even mass weddings were held along the eclipse’s “path of totality,” where the Sun’s corona shone from behind the Moon, leaving spectators in awe.
The total solar eclipse of 2024 marked a significant celestial occurrence as it will not be visible across the contiguous US until August 2044, and an annular eclipse, which occurs when the moon cannot entirely block the sun, will not reappear in this region until 2046.
