California grandfather fatally shot while trying to apologize for fender bender at Walmart

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Grandfather shot and killed after fender bender in Walmart parking lot: 'Tearing our family apart'

Matthew Mauk, son of murdered California grandfather Jonathan Mauk, tells 'Fox & Friends First' about the unconscionable homicide that took place after a fender bender in a Walmart parking lot. 

A family is heartbroken after a California grandfather was fatally shot while trying to apologize for a fender bender.

Police say that on Feb. 5, Shawntece Norton, 37, shot 59-year-old Jonathan Mauk to death in a Walmart parking lot in Highland. 

"He's been a solid foundation for all of us. The loss is immeasurable," the victim's oldest son, Matthew Mauk, told local news station KABC.

The younger Mauk said his father went to Walmart to run errands when he was shot and killed.

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Jonathan Mauk, a 59-year-old grandfather and car enthusiast, was shot and killed on Feb. 5, 2024, after a fender bender in a Walmart parking lot in Highland, California. (Matthew Mauk via GoFundMe)

"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 told the outlet.

According to the San Bernardino Police Department, Jonathan Mauk arrived at the Walmart parking lot at around 8 p.m. and was searching for an open spot. As he maneuvered his vehicle through an aisle, the female suspect, Norton, was backing out of a parking spot.

"For whatever reason, the victim stopped and slowly backed his vehicle up, and that’s when he had a collision with the suspect’s vehicle," Capt. Nelson Carrington told KTLA.

Police said no one was hurt in the collision and that the minor fender bender resulted in just a scratch or two, KTLA reported.

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This is a view of Walmart in Highland, California. Police say Shawntece Norton shot Jonathan Mauk in the face and drove away after he tried to apologize for a minor accident in the Walmart parking lot. (Google Street View)

But when Mauk got out of his vehicle to apologize, Norton allegedly got out of her vehicle and shot him in the face before driving off.

"From what witnesses told me, my dad felt responsible. He was the one to blame, so he got out of the car to apologize and that is when the other person shot him," Matthew Mauk told KABC.

Norton was arrested and charged with murder the next day. She is ineligible for bail and is being held at West Valley Detention Center, according to police records.

Matthew Mauk said he retrieved his father's vehicle the day after the shooting and that there was no real damage.

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

Jonathan Mauk is survived by his three sons and two grandchildren. A GoFundMe page set up by Matthew Mauk to raise money for funeral expenses has raised $13,181 toward a $15,000 goal.

"He liked being called ‘grandpa.’ He said it made him feel old, but he loved the title," the son told KABC.

He also said the family wants justice for their father's murder.

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"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.

Norton is due in court on Feb. 15. She has pleaded not guilty to murder charges.