Inset: Nicolas Andrew Totherow (Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office). Background: Bullet holes from the front and back of the vehicle Totherow allegedly shot during last week’s road rage incident (HCSO).
A 33-year-old Florida man is accused of chasing down a vehicle carrying four people, including a child, and opening fire during a road rage incident that spanned several miles.
Nicolas Andrew Totherow was arrested Wednesday and charged with attempted first-degree murder, multiple counts of aggravated battery with a firearm, and several other felonies after authorities say he repeatedly fired gunshots at the victims’ vehicle while pursuing them through Hillsborough County.
According to a news release from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the incident began around 3:14 p.m. near the intersection of Highway 92 and Wiggins Road, when a 911 caller reported that a man was following their vehicle and “actively shooting at them.” The caller told dispatchers there were four occupants inside, including a child, and remained on the line as the chase continued onto Park Road and the eastbound on-ramp to Interstate 4.
Investigators said Totherow continued discharging a firearm while trailing the victims onto I-4 before eventually continuing eastbound as the victims exited onto County Line Road. Deputies later located the targeted vehicle and confirmed it had been struck by gunfire multiple times.
“This reckless and violent behavior put multiple innocent lives at risk on our roadways,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “We will not tolerate violence in our community.”
Through investigative efforts, detectives identified Totherow as the suspect and took him into custody later that evening. During an interview, he allegedly admitted to firing multiple rounds at the vehicle and said he was shooting to kill.
“Post Miranda, the defendant stated that the victims cut him off and brake-checked him twice,” prosecutors wrote in a motion seeking to have Totherow held without bond. “He admitted that he intended to kill the driver. He admitted to not having any remorse.”
A probable cause affidavit details additional findings from the investigation, including the recovery of a loaded firearm from Totherow’s vehicle shortly after the shooting. Detectives located a Taurus TH9C 9 mm semi-automatic handgun on the driver’s seat with a magazine containing 16 live rounds.
Authorities also found a vape pen containing a substance consistent with cannabis resin, which field testing confirmed contained THC above the legal limit, according to the affidavit.
Investigators further determined that Totherow was driving with a suspended license at the time of the incident. Records showed his license had been suspended weeks earlier for financial reasons, and he had been notified before the shooting.
In addition to attempted murder, Totherow is facing charges of discharging a firearm from a vehicle, shooting into an occupied vehicle, armed possession of a controlled substance, and driving with a suspended license.
Authorities said the coordinated response from deputies and detectives led to Totherow’s arrest within hours of the shooting.
Totherow is currently being held in the Hillsborough County Jail without bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on Monday, according to court records.
