Jon Mauk was getting out of his car to apologize for a fender bender last Monday in a Highland, Calif., parking lot when he was suddenly shot in the face, according to reports.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
It was one of the millions of rear-end collisions reported every year, but with a deadly outcome that has shocked Mauk’s family. In an obituary for the 59-year-old, his family shared a poem for the California native.
A GoFundMe established by the family also features photos of Mauk, who leaves behind children and grandchildren. As of Thursday, donations reached nearly $24,000 – surpassing a $15,000 goal.
“My father was an amazing man, loved by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him,” said Matthew Mauk. “He leaves behind three sons, two grandchildren, and a legacy that cannot be described.”
According to KTLA, Capt. Nelson Carrington of the San Bernardino Police Department said Mauk “stopped and slowly backed his vehicle up and that’s when he had a collision with the suspect’s vehicle.”
Authorities described the impact as minor and that it only resulted in a few scratches. They identified the woman who shot Mauk as 37-year-old Shawntece Norton. Records from the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department viewed Thursday by Audacy showed that Norton was being held on murder charges at the West Valley Detention Center and was ineligible for bail.
KTLA reported that John worked at Carey’s Fine Automobiles in San Bernardino.
“I cried when I found out he got killed,” said Lee Hall, his friend and coworker at Carey’s Fine Automobiles. “That’s what he loved – cars. He probably would have fixed the lady’s car for nothing, but she ended up shooting him.”