Princeton Police Detail Violent Road Rage Incident
PRINCETON (CBSDFW.COM) – Police say Justin Brazile, 24, was sitting in the passenger seat of a vehicle on his way home from work when he became the unsuspecting victim of violent road rage Friday night.
According to Princeton Police Chief James Waters, the incident began just a mile outside his town, in McKinney. Waters says 47-year old Bobby Schule, cut-off a vehicle Brazile was riding in. That started a sequence of confrontations that ended in a violent spray of gunfire at about 8:30 p.m.
Waters says the driver of the vehicle and Schule exchanged words, and both parties threw cans at eachother's vehicles. The confrontaion continued down US Highway 380 East, into Princeton. That's when, police say, Schule pulled out a handgun and opened fire. Schule admitted to police he shot the victims. Investigators believe no less than seven bullets hit that car.
One struck Brazile in the head.
The young father of four was critically wonded and taken to Parkland Hospital where he is recovering. Brazile is a fullback and linebacker for the newly formed league, The North Texas Lightning.
"Justin is a real good guy," childhood friend BJ Ballew said. "There's never a dull moment when you're around Justin."
Akram Islam was working at a nearby gas station Friday night, just a few feet away from wher Brazile was shot. He took cell phone video of the incident, unaware of the severity of the situation.
"Just saw the cops blocked this road and cars jammed over there," Islam said.
Brazile's friends and family were tackled with the traumatic news they never saw coming.
"It's just tragic what happened," Ballew said. "Everyone is shocked - we didn't expect anything like this."
The tough, exuberant player is fighting through his recovery - with his close friends, family and teammates by his side.
"Everyone is just praying for him – that's all you can do is pray," Ballew said. "Justin will pull through, he's a fighter and the doctors say he's fighting and we know he's going to pull thru."
Schule remains jailed in Collin County, charged with aggrevated assault with a deadly weapon.
