Gun fired in White Bear Lake road rage incident

WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn. (KMSP) - The Minnesota State Patrol has found the driver and white Cadillac Escalade believed to be involved in an early morning road rage incident, in which the driver allegedly fired a handgun at another vehicle.

Investigators interviewed the driver and searched his vehicle, but did not find a gun. No arrests have been made.

The incident happened around 8:30 a.m. Thursday at Interstate 694 westbound and Highway 120 in White Bear Lake. According to the State Patrol, as the white Escalade exited White Bear Avenue, the suspect fired one shot at the victim’s car, shattering the back window. No one was shot or injured.

According to the State Patrol, the victim said she slowed down to let another car merge onto the highway in front of her. The victim said the driver of the Escalade became upset and started tailing her Ford Explorer closely. The victim then tapped her brakes and flipped him off.

When the Escalade passed the woman, someone threw a plastic bottle at her car. She responded by passing him and flipping him off a second time.

The Escalade exited at White Bear Avenue, at which point the driver allegedly stuck his head out the window and fired a shot as he cruised up the exit ramp. The victim exited 694 at the next available exit, Highway 61, and frantically called 911.

"Here I am racing to get to work," the driver said. "I don't know what he's racing to, but it gives you no reason to fire at someone's freaking car.”

The victim told Fox 9 that she and her fiancee were on their way to work at the time of the incident. Both were shaken up, and glad their children weren't in vehicle with them.

"I've had people give me mean looks or cut me off, but never to point I'm going to shoot you, and I could possibly murder you," the passenger said.

"My son is sick at school," the driver said. "He would have been in the car, but I got a dumbass who wants to shoot me on the road. That could have been my kid, my girl. That's weak. You are a coward.”

Authorities from multiple law enforcement agencies have been unable to locate the Escalade, and the vehicle's registration information has not been helpful in their search.

The State Patrol says this incident is a reminder to other motorists to avoid roadway confrontations.

“That’s why we advise people, if someone is driving aggressively, disengage, don’t participate," State Patrol Lt. Robert Zak said. "Don’t goad them. Don’t become part of that equation if you don’t need to be.”

In 2016, State Patrol received 525 aggressive driving complaints and had 154 gun pointing incidents. So far this year, there have been 130 aggressive driving complaints and 36 gun pointing incidents.

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