A Tulsa man arrested for shooting a teenager in a 2018 road rage incident pleaded guilty today in federal court, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Joshua Fort, 41, pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm in Indian Country. U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell will sentence Fort on Dec. 17, 2021.
“Joshua Fort pulled a gun on a teenager during a traffic dispute. He shot the young man then tried to blame the shooting on the victim,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “I am thankful the victim survived the incident and that he has since recovered from his injuries. There are legal consequences to road rage especially when that rage turns violent.”
Fort stated in a plea agreement that on June 23, 2018, he intentionally shot the teenager with a handgun during a fight Fort initiated. The victim was wounded in the arm, requiring surgery.
The incident first started when the parties pulled into a parking lot at 9447 E. 31st Street in Tulsa due to a traffic dispute. The defendant stepped out of his vehicle, pulled a gun on the driver and victim, and started an argument. According to witnesses, Fort verbally threatened to shoot the two then grabbed the victim by the neck, trying to strangle him. The victim fought back and then Fort shot him. The victim and driver left the scene to receive medical care.
When officers arrived at the scene, they made contact with Fort, who fit the description of the reported shooter. Officers observed a .38 caliber revolver on the sidewalk in front of the defendant’s vehicle, a pool of the victim’s blood beside the vehicle and a trail of blood that led around the vehicle and into the parking lot. Fort initially told officers that the victim and driver had the gun and started the altercation in the parking lot after he pulled in. He said that the gun was dropped and he didn’t know how it went off. The evidence indicated otherwise. During a search of Fort, officers observed a gun holster on the defendant that appeared to match the .38 used in the shooting and located a spent .38 caliber shell casing in his right pocket. Two more rounds were found in the lining of Fort’s shorts. Video surveillance was also located that verified the witnesses’ and victim’s statements.
Fort is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, and the crime occurred within the Muscogee Nation reservation. The defendant was previously convicted in Tulsa County District Court for the offense but appealed his conviction based on the Supreme Court’s McGirt decision.
The FBI and Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Buscemi is prosecuting the case.
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