The man who fired 11 shots from his girlfriend’s truck into a vehicle after a 2025 confrontation, killing the driver and critically wounding her daughter, was found guilty Thursday of Second-Degree Murder and seven related charges, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
Jubal John Simmons, 24, was found guilty of Second-Degree Murder with a Firearm, 3 counts of Attempted Second-Degree Murder with a Firearm, 2 counts of Shooting into an Occupied Vehicle, and 1 count of Discharging a Firearm from a Vehicle.
Co-defendant Ivybella Encino, who was driving the truck as it passed the victims and while Simmons fired 11 rounds, was found guilty of Accessory after the Fact to Attempted Second-Degree Murder, Accessory after the Fact to Shooting into an Occupied Vehicle, and Fleeing and Attempting to Elude (high speed/reckless).
The jury took less than 90 minutes to deliberate following Prosecutor Frank Sullivan’s closing argument. The defendants, each with a separate attorney, were tried together. Circuit Court Judge Timothy Register set sentencing for Feb. 20.
The two were charged in the Feb. 22, 2025 road rage shooting at U.S. 231 and Harrison Avenue that killed Georgeann Garner and critically injured her 19-year-old daughter. Two other passengers in the vehicle were not injured by any of the 11 shots.
The shooting took place after an altercation between a passenger in the car and Encino, but that had ended and everyone was back in their vehicles when Simmons opened fire.
“What happened at that intersection was an absolute tragedy,” Sullivan, who was assisted by Prosecutor Laurie Hughes, told jurors during his closing argument. “Most importantly, every single witness that you heard agreed that they thought the altercation was over.”
Sullivan told jurors the brief altercation – Encino believed the victim cut her off in heavy traffic – should not play a part in deciding the verdict because it was over as the defendants sat behind the victims at the traffic light just before the shooting.
“There was no threat of violence when Ivybella pulled around Ms. Garner’s vehicle and (Simmons) fired not 1, but 11 shots,” Sullivan said.
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The evidence showed that the defendants continued north on U.S. 231. Nearby Panama City police officers gave chase, with Encino turning left onto 19th Street, then right behind a group of buildings and the water tower before circling the Holiday Inn. Surveillance video tracks the pursuit and shows Simmons throwing the pistol into large drainage ditch. Encino continued her flight, driving across a grassy area, and through a large ditch before colliding with a patrol car, disabling both vehicles.
Encino was taken into custody there. Simmons fled on foot but was captured a short distance away. The gun was recovered by police.
Basford thanked Panama City police for their fast reaction and capture of the defendants. He also thanked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for its forensics work tying the gun to the shootings.
For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.