Florida Machete and Hatchet Brawl Erupts Over Love Triangle in Publix Parking Lot [WATCH]

A Publix parking lot in Panama City, Florida, became the scene of a bloody clash on Aug. 4 after two men allegedly confronted each other with a machete and a hatchet.

Police say the dispute centered on a romantic feud, turning an ordinary shopping trip into another entry in the Florida crime files.

Everette Krichbaum, 52, and James Gay, 35, now face aggravated battery charges stemming from what police described as a “physical altercation.”

Detectives identified Gay as the “primary aggressor,” though investigators say both men wielded weapons during the confrontation.

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According to the arrest affidavit, Krichbaum was sitting inside his vehicle in the Publix parking lot when Gay approached him.

Gay allegedly began a “verbal altercation” before walking back to his own vehicle and retrieving a machete that remained inside its sheath.

Police say Gay returned and struck Krichbaum in the face with the sheathed machete.

The confrontation then escalated further, with Krichbaum allegedly swinging a hatchet as the two men squared off near the supermarket.

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The bad blood had reportedly been building over a woman whom Krichbaum is currently dating and Gay previously dated.

Stephanie Marshall, who identified herself to Fox News Digital as Gay’s girlfriend, said the feud had been brewing before the parking lot confrontation.

Marshall is listed as a witness in a Panama City Police Department report.

She told Fox News Digital that she and Gay had been dating since June, adding yet another tangled layer to a dispute that apparently required blades instead of basic adult judgment.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found Gay suffering from a deep cut to his pinky finger.

The injury was severe enough to expose the bone, and police also documented a puncture wound in his lower abdomen.

Krichbaum suffered multiple cuts to his hands and face, according to the police report.

He told investigators that he lost consciousness after Gay struck him in the head with the machete.

Both men were transported by ambulance to a hospital for medical treatment.

Once the bandages were applied and the statements were taken, law enforcement began pursuing charges against both participants in the Publix parking lot showdown.

Gay was arrested on Aug. 5 and charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

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The charge was not his first encounter with the criminal justice system involving an accusation of serious violence.

Court records show Gay was convicted of aggravated battery in connection with the 2011 killing of a 16 year old boy near Panama City.

In that case, Gay used a chain wrapped around his hand to fracture the teenager’s skull, while other defendants also faced charges related to the boy’s death.

Gay received a 15 year prison sentence in 2012.

He was released early in June 2024, according to records from the Florida Department of Corrections, and was back behind bars following the latest alleged confrontation just over two years later.

Krichbaum was arrested after being released from the hospital on Aug. 5.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office assisted the U.S. Marshals Florida and Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force in taking him into custody.

Authorities charged Krichbaum with aggravated battery causing bodily harm or disability.

Police allege that his use of the hatchet left Gay with the serious finger wound and puncture injury documented by responding officers.

As of Aug. 7, Gay and Krichbaum were both being held at the Bay County Jail.

Fox News Digital was unable to reach either man for comment, and it was not immediately clear whether Krichbaum had obtained legal representation.

Jail records listed Gay as representing himself.

What began as jealousy and angry words now leaves two wounded men facing felony charges, with shoppers and police once again left to deal with the consequences of reckless behavior in a public parking lot.

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