A road-rage dispute near 144th and Harrison Streets that escalated into gunfire has landed an Omaha-area man a four-to-eight-year prison sentence. Trevor Masters was sentenced for discharging a firearm after a confrontation that began on the road and continued at a nearby convenience store, shattering a victim's car window as he tried to drive away.
A Lane Dispute Turns Into Gunfire
According to KETV, police said the fight between Masters and another driver started during a road-rage incident in March near 144th and Harrison Streets. Both drivers ended up at a convenience store, where the argument continued rather than cooling off, the station reported.
The victim told officers that as he was driving away from the confrontation, Masters fired a shot at the back of his vehicle, shattering a window, per the station's report. Earlier coverage from WOWT identified the location as the Regis Food Mart, where officers responded around 4:11 p.m. after a report of shots fired. That outlet reported the confrontation began when the other driver followed Masters to the parking lot after a dispute over changing lanes.
Surveillance Video and a Confession
WOWT reported that surveillance video showed Masters go to his car, grab what appeared to be a black object, and point it at the other man's vehicle, shattering the back windshield. Police said Masters gave a full confession to firing his handgun after being advised of his rights, the outlet noted. WOWT's initial arrest coverage identified Masters as 35 years old, while KETV's earlier reporting on his guilty plea identified the victim as 39.
At the time of his arrest, Masters faced charges of unlawful discharge of a firearm, attempted commission of a Class II felony, using a firearm to commit a felony, discharging a firearm near a vehicle or building, and tampering with evidence, according to the same WOWT report.
Guilty Plea Led to Dismissed Counts
Masters pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm in connection with the incident, and four other felony counts were dismissed as part of a plea agreement, according to court documents cited by KETV in its earlier coverage. That plea set up the sentencing that KETV reported this week, when Masters received four to eight years in prison for the firearm discharge.
Nebraska law separately addresses the unlawful, knowing, and intentional or reckless discharge of a firearm while in or near a motor vehicle within specified boundaries, according to Nebraska Revised Statute 28-1212.04 as published by the Nebraska Legislature.
