Mother of Ocala hospital shooter says son has drug problem

OCALA, Fla. — The man accused of shooting a nurse at an Ocala hospital with a highway patrolman’s gun is behind bars without bail.

The Florida Highway Patrol asked a judge to keep Jason Gignac, 38, in jail because his history of not showing up to court appearances makes him a flight risk, according to his arrest report.

His mother, Rachael Delannoy, spoke to Channel 9's Cuthbert Langley and said her son has a drug problem.

“He just can't quit the drugs. He's good for a little while. Then he goes right back to it,” said Delannoy.

She said Gignac got into a fight with his girlfriend Saturday morning, which he left his girlfriend's house with no shoes or extra clothes.

“We called all over to find out where he was, and we couldn't find him anywhere,” said Delannoy.

Troopers found him walking on the side of Interstate 75, and told him three separate times he couldn’t walk on the interstate.

The third time they spoke to him, Gignac told the troopers he needed to go to the hospital.

Troopers took him to West Marion Community Hospital. He was in the process of being discharged when troopers tried to arrest him for failing to obey their orders to not walk on the interstate.

That’s when a fight broke out between Gignac and three troopers.

According to the arrest report, Gignac bit two of the troopers and then got a hold of one trooper's gun and shot it, hitting a nurse in the leg.

“Oh my God, I was floored. That's the last thing I ever thought my son would do,” said Delannoy.

All three troopers suffered minor injuries, the arrest report states.

Gignac is being held at the Marion County jail on counts of battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest with violence and resisting arrest without violence.

FHP is conducting an internal review of the incident, Riordan said.

Cox Media Group