Florida Man Charged With Attempted Murder for Shooting Neighbor
Victim's friends say the alleged shooter had previously harassed him by smearing feces on his house and posting signs with anti-LGBTQ slurs.
Tyler Getchell of Jacksonville, Florida, has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly shooting and partially paralyzing his neighbor, Kyle McFarlane, during an argument over what Getchell believed was trespassing.
McFarlane told police he was gathering discarded furniture for a bonfire on November 22 when Getchell and his girlfriend came outside and yelled at him to get off their property, First Coast News reported.
According to the police report, video footage shows McFarlane standing on a property easement — not on his neighbors’ land — just before the shooting.
Detectives say Getchell’s girlfriend walked toward McFarlane holding a belt, and moments later Getchell fired a single round that struck him in the back.
McFarlane survived, but is now partially paralyzed, with a bullet lodged near his L4 vertebra, according to friends and supporters who have launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover his medical expenses.
The GoFundMe states that the bullet is inoperable and has affected McFarlane’s ability to walk, along with his bowel and bladder functions. He faces a long recovery requiring intensive medical care and physical therapy. The campaign has raised more than $7,800 so far.
The shooting followed what McFarlane’s friends describe as an escalating harassment campaign by Getchell and his girlfriend.
Friends allege the couple smeared feces on the outside walls of McFarlane’s house and posted signs with anti-LGBTQ slurs facing his property. One such sign, filmed by First Coast News, reads: “Fuck you tr*nny f**.”
Echo Nova, a local LGBTQ advocate, is urging prosecutors to scrutinize the circumstances surrounding the shooting and consider pursuing hate-crime enhancements against Getchell.
“This is quite a blatant hate crime itself,” Nova told First Coast News. “There is no reason to be hateful toward people, no matter their sexuality, their gender, their religious denomination, their nationality, their economic standing. There’s no need for hate, and there’s no need to act on that hate in such violent measures either.”
In response to questions about possible hate-crime charges, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office told First Coast News that the shooting remains under investigation and that a determination will be made later.
Getchell is being held at the Duval County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, December 16.
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