California grandpa fatally shot while reportedly trying to apologize for minor fender bender in Walmart parking lot: 'It's so painful'

A California grandfather was fatally shot following a minor fender bender in a Walmart parking lot. The beloved grandpa was allegedly attempting to apologize when he was gunned down following the car accident that caused minimal damage.

Around 8 p.m. on Feb. 5, 59-year-old Jonathan Mauk went to get supplies to make beef jerky from a Walmart in Highland, California.

Mauk's custom-built 1998 Chevrolet Camaro Supersport gently collided with another vehicle that was backing up in the parking lot.

Matthew Mauk, one of Jonathan's three sons, told the Press-Enterprise that his father was getting out to apologize, citing a detective he had spoken to.

San Bernardino Police Capt. Nelson Carrington said, "There was a verbal altercation, and that's when, per witness accounts, the suspect retrieved a firearm and shot the victim. It's my understanding that the suspect is the one who did all of the yelling."

Mauk died at the crime scene.

The suspect is 37-year-old Shawntece Marie Norton – who reportedly fled the scene.

Norton was arrested the day after the shooting at an apartment complex near Highland.

Carrington said police recovered an unregistered gun, which they believe she used to shoot Mauk.

The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office charged Norton with murder and sentencing enhancements of using a firearm in the commission of a felony and discharging a firearm to cause great bodily harm. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges, according to court records. Norton remains in custody at West Valley Detention Center without bail.

Police said the damage was minimal — a scratch or two.

"There is a scratch on the fender. There is not a dent, there is no real damage. There is a scratch," Matthew Mauk said. "That is the extent of the collision that he lost his life over."

"I couldn’t imagine anybody getting that upset over something so small, so insignificant," Mauk told KTLA. "It's so painful. I wouldn’t want anybody to go through this."

The distraught son told KABC-TV, "He's been a solid foundation for all of us. The loss is immeasurable."

"I can't even put into words why that happened or what would go through a person's mind to make that seem like an acceptable action. None of it makes sense," he added.

"(Norton) took away a person way before he was ready to leave this planet," Matthew told the Sacramento Bee. "He had a lot of love left to give. I'm looking at my family. It's completely broken."

Mauk is demanding justice for his father's untimely death.

"We'll be there for every single court hearing. Anything that has to do with this incident, we're going to be there. We're going to be vocal, we're going to talk about it," Mauk said.

Jonathan Mauk is survived by his three sons, his 10-year-old grandson, and 5-year-old granddaughter.

Grandfather killed over fender bender in Walmart parking lot in Southern California www.youtube.com

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Paul Sacca TheBlaze https://www.theblaze.com/