Driver caught in crossfire of Manatee County shootout expected to survive

BRADENTON, Fla. - The search is on for two gunmen after a shootout in the middle of a busy intersection.

A woman sitting in her car was caught in the crossfire. She was shot in the head, but officials say she is expected to survive.

The Manatee County Sheriff's Office wants to find the shooters.

Manatee County sheriff's deputies closed the busy intersection of US 41 and 26th avenue just after lunchtime Thursday.

The agency says two men got into an argument at the RaceTrack gas station about a mile away, then started driving while shooting at each other.

When they got to US 41 and 26th, deputies say one of the bullets hit a woman sitting in her car.

"This could've ended very tragically, I mean, we have a woman that was shot in the head and she's going to be okay and it's amazing that it wasn't worse than it was,” said Randy Warren with the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

Bullets also hit other vehicles in the area, including ones at the Firkins Auto dealership.

“These are innocent people that have nothing to do with this argument between these guys with guns, and they think that they can just drive down the street and start firing like they're in some movie, it's total irresponsibility, it's egregious," Warren said.

People in nearby businesses say they heard several gunshots.

“We heard five or six banging noises, my coworker thought it was a motorcycle backfiring and I told her, I said, no it's not, it is a gunshot, several of them, we heard, we didn't see,” said Rochelle Miller, who works at Manasota Flooring.

The sheriff's office says it is currently following leads that will hopefully lead to the vehicles driven by the suspects – and their arrests.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office at (941) 747-3011.