No one doubts that Andrew Derr shot Sara-Nicole Morales dead however what lead up to the shooting is what it is still in question however prosecutors have decided not to press any charges against Derr. On November 20 2022 Sara-Nicole Morales was driving with her daughter in the vehicle in Orange City Florida and was involved in a road rage incident with Andrew Derr who was driving a motorcycle.
Witnesses said that Andrew Derr kicked Sara-Nichols Morales car and yelled at the woman. Sara-Nichols Morales responded by hitting the saddlebag on Andrew Derr motorcycle which almost caused him to crash. Sara-Nichols Morales would then attempt to drive off, which Florida police would later categorize as a hit and run. Another motorcyclist and another person driving a truck tried to prevent Sara-Nichols Morales from driving off. However Sara-Nichols Morales was able to drive to her house.
Sara-Nichols Morales is believed to have grabbed a firearm at this time from inside of her residence. Andrew Derr and the two other motorists would pull up in front of her home. Now Andrew Derr said that Sara-Nichols Morales pulled a gun on him and he responded by firing five times, striking and killing Sara-Nichols Morales. Andrew Derr did have a concealed weapon permit and did call 911 on his way over to Sara-Nichols Morales home. Sara-Nichols Morales also called 911 saying she was followed home. However the police did not arrive fast enough to prevent the shooting. When police did arrive Andrew Derr was put into custody and immediately told police that Sara-Nichols Morales pointed a gun at him.
Andrew Derr More News
Prosecutors will not charge an Orange City motorcyclist who shot and killed a Volusia County library assistant who he said pointed a gun at him following a road rage incident, according to an email from the State Attorney’s Office.
Andrew Derr, 40, of Orange City, shot and killed Sara-Nicole Morales, 35, on Nov. 20 outside her mother’s house in Orange City. Derr said Morales pointed a gun at him, according to reports. Two other men said Morales was waving the gun around, according to reports.
Morales was a library assistant for Volusia County. She was pregnant, her mother said.
Assistant State Attorney Bryan Shorstein, a spokesman for 7th Circuit State Attorney R.J. Larizza, wrote in an email on Tuesday that Derr would not be charged.
“The State Attorney’s Office has completed a comprehensive review of this case. The Orange City Police Department concluded, after a thorough investigation, that the suspect would not be charged with a crime,” Shorstein wrote. “While the facts in this case are truly heartbreaking, the law does not authorize the filing of any criminal charges. Our sincerest thoughts and prayers go out to the Morales family.”
man who answered Derr’s phone on Tuesday hung up after a reporter identified himself. Derr has a concealed weapons permit, according to reports.
Morales’ mother, Doreen Flaherty, said previously that Morales was pregnant when she was killed. She also said her daughter had grabbed her fiancé’s gun.
Flaherty said on Tuesday that she was angered by the prosecutors’ decision.
She also said both sides made mistakes in the fatal incident, but that Derr should not have followed her daughter home.
“If he had not followed her in the first place there would have been no need for him to feel the need to defend himself,” Flaherty said.
The incident began when Derr tried to pass Morales and she moved her car into his lane, causing Derr to swerve, according to a witness’ statement in a report.
Derr then “became aggressive,” yelling and waving as he continued to ride next to Morales’ vehicle, the witness said in the report.
Morales swerved her car at the biker, the report said. Her vehicle struck the motorcycle’s saddle bag, leaving a scuff mark and almost causing the biker to wreck, according to the report.
Derr then kicked Morales’ car, a witness stated in the report
Derr and two other men, who were the witnesses quoted in the reports, followed Morales to her home on East Wisconsin Avenue in Orange City. Derr later told police he and the other two men were waiting in the road near her house.
Morales ran into her house and came back out with a gun, the report stated. Derr pulled his .45-caliber pistol and shot her dead, according to a report
“She came toward us and when she was about 15 feet away she raised a gun at me,” Derr told police, according to a report. “It was pointed at me. I was scared to death and immediately drew my firearm and defended myself.”
Nicolas Hirst, of Deltona, one of the other two men who followed Morales, told police Morales came out of the house and told the men she was on the phone with police, the report stated.
“She then pulled out a gun and waved it at the three of us. I stepped back, said ‘calm down’ and before I knew it, the male motorcyclist drew his gun and shot the female what sounded like five times,” Hirst stated, according to the report.
Cody Drew, 21, of Umatilla, was the other witness who followed Morales.
Drew told police that “lady pulled in driveway of the house and came out to road to talk. Lady pulls a pistol and waves it at me and the guy on the bike and another witness. Guy on bike with black jacket pulls his pistol and unloads his clip on the lady in the blue car,” according to the report.
Morales’ 11-year-old daughter was inside the house and heard the gunshots that took her mother’s life.
