Florida Shooting : Man shoots at trooper, triggers I-75 shutdown

Suspect fatally wounded after shooting at Florida trooper.

The hunt for a gunman who fired at a state trooper on Interstate 75 in Alachua County on Saturday ended with the suspect found dead after an exchange of gunfire.

The inside and center lanes of northbound I-75 are open, but the center lane remains closed near mile marker 376.

The shooting had traffic backed up for miles, creating hours-long delays.

The trooper who was shot at was assisting a disabled vehicle when a gunman began firing at the trooper by a fence near the forest line and then fled into the woods, deputies said.

Sgt. Tracy Hisler-Pace, of Florida Highway Patrol, said the trooper was not injured.

Sheriff Sadie Darnell said the man was firing random shots.

Law enforcement closed both sides of the interstate for several hours while they searched for the gunman.

A perimeter was established and troopers contained the gunman within the perimeter.

At about 1:30 p.m., deputies said they located the suspect.

Authorities tell The Gainesville Sun that a body with a gunshot wound was found Saturday afternoon a few hundred yards from the highway. The body was believed to be the suspect’s.

The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team helped search for the man.

Agencies/Canadajournal