17-year-old kills Lyft driver over comment man made about his mom, FL cops say
A 17-year-old became “enraged” when a Lyft driver reportedly said the teen’s mother must be “sorry,” then he shot the man in the back of the head and fled, Florida deputies said.
The teen has now been charged with murder in the killing of William Robert McArthur.
McClatchy News is not identifying the teen since it’s unclear if he’s being charged as an adult. McClatchy News reached out to the State Attorney’s Office to determine whether he would be prosecuted as an adult.
“Our hearts are with Mr. McArthur’s family and loved ones in the midst of this terrible tragedy,” a Lyft spokesperson said in a statement. “We have reached out to offer support to them during this difficult time and are assisting law enforcement in their ongoing investigation. The rider has been permanently removed from the Lyft community.”
McArthur was completing a ride with the teen in Panama City in the early hours of May 24 when McArthur started making comments about the teen appearing to be drunk and underage, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office wrote in an arrest affidavit.
The teen said McArthur “made more comments about his mumbling speech, told him he would amount to nothing, and that the defendant’s mother was ‘sorry,’” deputies said.
It was the comment about the boy’s mother that “sent him over the edge in rage,” according to investigators.
The teen is accused of pulling a gun out of his pocket and shooting McArthur in the back of the head.
The 17-year-old said he got out of the vehicle and pulled McArthur out of the driver’s seat while the vehicle was still moving, according to deputies. He said he tried performing CPR, but when he saw another car coming, he grabbed his gun and McArthur’s cellphone, then fled, deputies said.
First responders reported finding McArthur lying in the road, with his vehicle about 75 to 100 yards away. The Lyft sign on the vehicle was lit up, so investigators reached out to the rideshare company, which provided the teen’s rider information, deputies said.
McArthur died at a hospital, according to the sheriff’s office.
The teen went home briefly before getting picked up by a friend and returning a couple hours later, deputies said. When the 17-year-old got home, investigators were speaking to his mother and arrested him.
He showed them the trash can where he had ditched the gun, then he explained that an argument with McArthur led up to the fatal shooting, according to deputies.
He was booked in detention with the Department of Juvenile Justice. He turned 17 just over a month prior to the incident, records show.
Panama City is in the Florida Panhandle.
This story was originally published May 28, 2025 at 3:23 PM with the headline "17-year-old kills Lyft driver over comment man made about his mom, FL cops say."