Investigators: Highland Park man faces prison time for shooting at car during road rage incident
Authorities say the defendant had his two young daughters in the car when the shooting occurred.
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A Highland Park man was convicted on child endangerment and firearms charges after prosecutors say he fired shots at a victim during a road rage incident while his two young daughters were in the car.
A Somerset County jury convicted Gerald Chapman, 41, on multiple charges including possession of a firearm, hindering apprehension and child endangerment following a weeklong trial that ended on Sept. 27.
The charges stem from an incident that took place on May 5, 2023 while he and the victim were driving in heavy traffic on Easton Avenue near the exit ramp for I-287 North in Franklin Township. According to testimony, Chapman pulled up alongside the victim’s car, striking the mirror with his left hand and leaving his fingerprints behind.
Prosecutors say Chapman then drove behind the victim's vehicle and pulled up next to the driver's side while the victim was outside the car fixing his mirror. Chapman then pulled out a 9mm handgun and fired shots that struck the window and rear door on the driver's side of the victim's vehicle, prosecutors said.
Following the shooting, Chapman fled the scene and disposed of the handgun, according to testimony provided during the trial. It was also revealed that Chapman's one-and-a-half-year-old daughter and 4-year-old daughter were both in the car with him when the shooting took place.
According to the Somerset County prosecutor, Chapman could face up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on Nov. 15.
