Man and wife’s boyfriend engage in shootout during child exchange

A father and his separated wife’s new boyfriend engaged in a shootout during a planned child custody exchange Friday evening, Sept 18, in Oakleaf Plantation, according to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

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All parties involved were detained as the Sheriff’s Office determines the charges, but no one was shot. Stray bullets did hit a couple of homes though.

“It was a very troubling situation given that kids were involved,” Sheriff’s Office spokesman Ben Ryan said.

It began shortly before 5 p.m. with the Sheriff’s Office receiving several 911 calls regarding gunfire on Bayridge Court. Minutes later, additional 911 calls came in about a car crashing into a tree off Piedmont Manor Drive and a man running through a backyard, Ryan said.

Deputies set up a perimeter and located everyone involved. All know each other, Ryan said. It involved a child custody exchange between two married but separated parents. It was unclear what escalated during the visit, but the woman’s boyfriend and her legal husband both started shooting at each other with the children around.

One ran through backyards in the cul de sac on Bayridge Court and was found shortly after. The other drove off and crashed into the tree. He was found by a K-9 unit with the assistance from a community member and taken to a hospital for injuries to his lower body in the crash.

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No names or ages were released.

Anyone with additional information that could help in the investigation is encouraged to contact the Sheriff’s Office at (904) 264-6512, or submit a SaferWatch Tip or contact First Coast Crime Stoppers by dialing **TIPS.

Scott Butler has been an editor/reporter specializing in public safety coverage for 26 years with The Florida Times-Union. He can be reached at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Man and wife’s boyfriend engage in shootout during child exchange

Reporting by Scott Butler, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union

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This story was originally published September 19, 2026 at 12:37 PM.