Middlesex Co. Dad Who Fired Gun At Car, With Kids Present, Sentenced

HIGHLAND PARK, NJ — A 41-year-old Middlesex County man will serve five years in state prison for firing a gun multiple times into another car when the other driver wouldn't let him merge, announced Somerset County Prosecutor John McDonald.

The man is Gerald S. Chapman, of Highland Park. His two young daughters, ages 4 and 1, were in the back of his car when he fired the gun in rage, said the prosecutor.

Chapman was sentenced last Friday by Somerset County Superior Court Judge Peter Tober.

This happened May 5, 2023 in Franklin Township: It was 4:50 p.m. that day, a Friday, and Chapman and the other driver — who was never identified by police — were driving in heavy traffic on Easton Avenue. Chapman tried to merge his car in front of the victim's car, near the ramp to get onto I-287 north.

The victim said there was no room for Chapman to merge. Chapman then became irate and, while still driving his car, slapped the passenger side mirror of the victim’s vehicle.

This caused the other driver to pull over, park and get out of his car to fix the broken side mirror.

Chapman then pulled up next to his car, pulled out a 9mm handgun and fired two shots in the direction of the driver's seat. The bullets hit the driver’s window and the rear driver’s side door while the victim was outside his car on the passenger side, adjusting the window. Chapman's one-and-a-half-year-old daughter and four-year-old daughter were in the back of his car at the time.

Chapman then fled the scene. The other driver was not hit by the bullets. The victim immediately went to the Franklin Township Police Department to report the incident.

Law enforcement was able to identify Chapman as the suspect because he left his fingerprints on the mirror when he slapped it. Police say he also disposed of his handgun after the shooting, and hid or destroyed other evidence of the crime from his car.

On May 19 of last year, Chapman turned himself into Franklin Township Police.

At the time of the incident, Chapman was living on Ulysses Road in Somerset. He has since relocated to Highland Park. He was initially charged with first-degree attempted murder, but on Sept. 27, after a one-week trial, a Somerset County jury found Chapman guilty of lesser charges: Second-degree Possession of a Firearm for an Unlawful Purpose, second-degree Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, two counts of second-degree child endangerment and third-degree Hindering Apprehension.

On Nov. 15, Hon. Tober sentenced Chapman to five years in state prison, with a parole disqualifier of 42 months.

Initial report on this incident on the Hillsborough Patch: Attempted Murder Charge For Somerset Man In Road Rage Shooting (May 2023)