Florida Father Shoots Son Over Hospice Visit Dispute

An 84-year-old man from Florida shot his son during a heated argument regarding the frequency of visits to his mother in hospice, reports indicate.

William Nowak was arrested and is facing attempted murder charges following the incident in Palm Bay on Tuesday night.

According to an affidavit, police were dispatched after the victim’s wife urgently informed her father-in-law that her husband had been shot in the head. When officers arrived, the son was in a serious condition and barely able to speak. The bullet had shattered and lodged in his face.

Nowak resides with his wife and a disabled daughter, who is currently in hospice care. Authorities noted that he had “been taking care of the two.” Although Nowak’s son and daughter-in-law regularly visited, on this occasion, they arrived around 6 p.m. Tuesday, prompting Nowak to express frustration about their lack of visits over the weekend.

The situation quickly turned confrontational, with Nowak reportedly warning his son to “get out of the house or I’ll shoot you.” He then went to his bedroom, retrieved a gun, and, despite pleas from the victim’s wife to disarm, headed towards his son.

Nowak allegedly fired the gun, hitting his son in the face. Afterward, he returned the weapon to the bedroom and seemed disoriented, reportedly asking, “What the hell just happened?” before crying uncontrollably.

Upon their arrival, police found what looked like blood and a spent bullet casing in the kitchen. They also discovered another gun in Nowak’s bedroom and blood in the driveway.

Paramedics transported Nowak to the hospital for high blood pressure, but he appeared incoherent and couldn’t provide clear answers to investigators. The current condition of his son remains unclear.

Nowak was formally booked into the Brevard County Jail on Wednesday, with a judge denying him bail. He is set to appear in court on January 8, according to court documents.