Florida Man Found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity After Shooting Incident

A man in Florida was found not guilty by reason of insanity after being accused of shooting three tourists near Disney World. This is not his first encounter with the law; he had previously attempted to kill someone at a gas station.

Ahmad Jihad Boje, 29, from Kissimmee, allegedly shot three individuals at a rental property adjacent to his home on a Saturday. His past includes a charge of attempted first-degree murder stemming from a disturbing incident at a gas station, as reported.

Back on May 14, 2021, Boje reportedly fired several shots into an occupied vehicle in a Wawa parking lot, injuring one person in the process.

After his trial, he was acquitted by reason of insanity and subsequently released, only to be arrested again for the recent shooting, which involved two of his brothers.

Osceola County Sheriff Christopher Blackmon described the relationship between Boje and the victims as “cold, premeditated, and completely flawless.” The tourists had found themselves stranded outside their rental because of vehicle issues.

One witness from the Wawa incident recounted that when he heard the gunfire, he assisted a woman and a child by hiding them in a storage closet.

In the Wawa shooting, Boje faced multiple charges, including attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault, according to court documents.

Lutfula Normatov, who witnessed the shooting, later expressed her disbelief upon learning about Boje’s insanity plea. “Once that person shoots in public, they’re going to shoot again,” she remarked.

Following the recent shooting, it’s noted that police had been called to Boje’s residence multiple times due to complaints about disturbances.

Interestingly, while his defense team acknowledged that he committed the crime at the gas station, they argued he lacked understanding of the consequences or the moral wrongness of his actions.

There are discussions among authorities about the need for legal changes that would mandate psychiatric commitment for those who plead guilty by reason of insanity, especially if they pose a danger to others. “If they pose a risk of harm to others, we need to make sure they are locked up,” stated Florida Attorney General James Usmeyer.

As part of Boje’s insanity plea, he was banned from possessing any weapons, according to law enforcement sources. However, officers were frequently called to his home primarily due to complaints about public disturbances.