Attempted murder charges filed against McCall

GAINESVILLE – Just a day after Robert Matthew “Matt” Judah, 36, died, the State Attorney’s office filed attempted murder charges against 71-year-old Patrick A. McCall, the man they say is responsible for the shooting that took Judah’s life.

While skeet-shooting at Forest Grove Baptist Church in October, Judah was allegedly shot by McCall, a disgruntled neighbor.  Injuries resulting from the shooting reportedly required a follow-up surgery last Tuesday, a procedure which Judah did not survive.  Since the October incident, Judah had remained hospitalized.

Filed with the Clerk of Court on Nov. 30 was a document charging McCall with four counts of attempted murder in the first degree.  Judah, who was shot, was named as one of the victims as were three others who were not believed to have been struck by bullets during the incident.  It is likely that additional charges will be forthcoming in light of Judah’s death last week.  In conjunction with the formal filing of the charges, the State Attorney’s office also filed a notice of intent to seek enhanced penalties against McCall as a “10/20/Life offender.”

Meanwhile, on Dec. 5, McCall filed his own motion for release, noting that more than 40 days had elapsed since his arrest.  That motion was stricken by the judge on the grounds that it could not be considered since it was not filed by McCall’s attorney.

The incident in which Judah was shot occurred Oct. 21 at about 6:40 p.m. while a group of church members were engaged in a skeet-shooting match with shotguns on the church’s property located at 22575 NW 94th Avenue.  That’s when Patrick A. McCall walked out of his house, which is located at 9306 NW 226th Street across the street from the church, and randomly fired a handgun in the direction of the church, Alachua County Sheriff Office deputies reported.

According to the arrest report, McCall said he was inside his house when he heard gun shots coming from the direction of the church. He retrieved his 9 mm Sig handgun and while standing behind his house, he fired quick, successive shots until the magazine was empty. He reloaded and fired again, but could not remember if he emptied the magazine, the report states.

McCall claimed to be pointing the gun in the air in the direction of a pecan tree in front of his house. McCall said he fired rounds because he heard other people firing rounds. It is something he has done in the past.

But, according to the police report, McCall later said he fired the rounds because he wanted the church members to stop. He said he had no intention of hurting anyone.

Medical personnel from Alachua County Fire Rescue and deputies from the sheriff’s office arrived a short time later to find Judah suffering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The deputies and fire rescue personnel administered first aid on the scene before Judah was air lifted to Shands Hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Deputies evacuated the remaining people, including several children, from the church due to the nature of the investigation. They located several objects that had been struck by the random gunfire.

After several hours, McCall reportedly exited his home and surrendered himself to deputies.  He was arrested and charged with attempted homicide and is still being held in the Alachua County Jail on $750,000 bail pending court appearances.