84-Year-Old Father Charged in Shooting Son in Face Over Infrequent Visits to Dying Mother

Palm Bay, Florida, is generally knownfor its quiet residential community, but tranquillity was recently shattered by a surprising act of violence. An 84-year-old man in Palm Bay, Florida, has been arrested and charged with attempted murder after allegedly shooting his son in the face during a heated argument over the latter's infrequent visits to his terminally ill mother.

The incident, which occurred at the family home, has exposed the potentially explosive nature of caregiver burnout, as William Nowak was reportedly the sole provider for both his wife in hospice and their disabled adult daughter.

Violent Confrontation Over Infrequent Visits

The tragedy occurred at Nowak's residence in the 1600 block of Hawkbill Street NW. Based on police reports, the son and his wife arrived at their father's home around 6 p.m. on Tuesday last week, and they were immediately met with an emotionally-charged complaint. Nowak was furious that his son and daughter-in-law had not visited the family home the previous weekend.

In the court filings, it was stated that Nowak and his son began discussing the grievance, but things quickly spiralled into an intensified verbal disagreement. Afterwards, the visibly agitated elderly man warned his son, 'Get out of my house, or I'm going to shoot you.'

Moment of Violence: The Shooting and Confused Octogenarian

The police affidavit shows that after declaring the threat, the older Nowak continued to demand that his son leave the house. The 84-year-old then walked to his bedroom and returned with a firearm.

Recognising the imminent danger, the daughter-in-law tried to de-escalate the situation and pleaded with him to put the firearm down. However, her attempt to calm her husband's father was not effective, and in the kitchen, the father directly aimed the gun at his son and pulled the trigger.

The bullet struck Nowak's son in the jaw. The slug lodged into his face, causing immediate and serious injuries. The son was immediately rushed to the hospital, though his condition is not known as of this time.

Following the discharge of the firearm, the scene shifted dramatically from violence to confusion. Nowak reportedly walked back to his bedroom to return the weapon. At this moment, his demeanour had completely changed as he appeared disoriented and deeply confused by the events that had just transpired.

The elderly man then started to ask repeatedly, 'What just happened?' while simultaneously breaking down into hysterical crying and continuous screaming, suggesting that he probably just realised the gravity of his action and was shocked by it.

Legal and Medical Status

The octogenarian was revealed to be the primary caregiver of his 85-year-old wife who is in hospice care. He is also caring for their 62-year-old disabled daughter at home, a situation that likely contributed to his emotional state.

In fact, he required medical attention for high blood pressure and was taken to the hospital before being released into police custody. William Nowak was subsequently booked into the Brevard County Jail and he is facing charges for the act of shooting a firearm with the intent to cause harm as a grievous felony.