A Miami Gardens road-rage confrontation ended with a gunshot fired through a stranger's car window, and the man accused of pulling the trigger is now behind bars without bond. Rajindra Somra, 46, was driving a white Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van when investigators say he chased another driver to a stop near the Florida's Turnpike overpass on the eastbound Palmetto Expressway before opening fire.
According to NBC 6 South Florida, Somra and the other driver became involved in a road-rage incident per the arrest report, with Somra allegedly growing aggressive, shouting at the other driver and following him until traffic congestion near the overpass forced the victim's vehicle to stop, as detailed by WSVN 7News. Somra then got out of his van and approached the other car, per the arrest report cited by NBC 6.
The station's report indicates the confrontation reached its most dangerous moment when the victim lowered his passenger window roughly two inches and asked Somra to leave them alone. Instead, Somra allegedly discharged a single round through the passenger-side window before driving away, according to the same account. The arrest report notes multiple people were inside the targeted vehicle.
Dashcam Footage Leads Detectives to Key Largo
Video recorded by the victim's own vehicle, combined with a physical description from the occupants, gave Florida Highway Patrol detectives enough to trace Somra to his workplace in Key Largo the following day, where he was interviewed and arrested. Per the arrest report, Somra admitted he had been involved in a road-rage incident but denied approaching the other vehicle or having a firearm.
Somra, who lists his residence in West Park, was booked into jail on charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault with a firearm, and unlawfully discharging a firearm in public, per NBC 6's reporting. He was taken to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, per WSVN 7News.
Judge Orders Suspect Held Without Bond
A Miami-Dade judge found probable cause for two counts of attempted second-degree murder and granted the state's motion for pretrial detention, ordering Somra held without bond on those counts while setting a combined $10,500 bond on the additional charges, WSVN 7News reports.
Attempted second-degree murder is classified as a second-degree felony under Florida Statute § 782.04(2) and § 777.04, carrying a maximum penalty of 15 years in state prison and a $10,000 fine, according to the Law Office of Roger P. Foley. Florida's “10-20-LIFE” statute, Florida Statute § 775.087, provides a 20-year minimum for discharging a firearm during specified enumerated felonies; standalone aggravated assault was removed from the qualifying list for offenses after July 1, 2016, as explained by the Brancato Law Firm. The aggravated assault charge, meanwhile, is a third-degree felony under Florida Statute § 784.021 punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine per count, per the Flaherty & Merrifield law firm's legal summary.
Part of a Wider Pattern on South Florida Roads
The shooting is another South Florida road-rage case alongside a Hammocks pepper-spray attack Hoodline reported. That incident happened September 14, not one day before the Miami Gardens shooting reported for the week of September 21.
