Seminole Police Officers were dispatched to an alleged drive by shooting at approximately 5:47 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 31, according to a Seminole Police Department incident report filed by Officer Chris Ayers. When police interviewed the victims, they were informed that the alleged suspect was Dylan Ray Tipton, 21. The report identifies Tipton as an enrolled member of the Muscogee Creek Nation.

The first individual stated that Tipton had previously assaulted her grandson and she had approached Tipton while he was sitting in a white car at a local convenience store and asked him to stop hurting him. The grandson stated that Tipton had issues with him and had previously jumped him. He did not like the way Tipton had spoken to his grandmother at the convenience store, and he had punched him before they left the store.

The victim stated that when they arrived at their home, he first saw Tipton drive by slowly on a connecting street before approaching again, this time turning off on his street. As he drove by Tipton pointed a silver pistol at him and his grandmother and fired two rounds at them, according to the report. No one was injured. The victim stated he observed a passenger in the vehicle wearing a blue top and shorts.

Ayers was informed that Seminole County Deputies had driven past Tipton’s home and found his car was backed up to the trailer house. They requested assistance, and Seminole Police Department and Seminole Nation Police responded. The house was surrounded, and Tipton exited the house and surrendered, the report states. Tipton informed the lawmen there was another person in the house that refused to exit. Officers were able to detain this person, who matched the victim’s passenger description.

A search warrant was obtained from the Honorable Judge Steve Barnes of the Seminole Nation, and officers executed a warrant at 11:36 p.m. An unused 9mm round was found near the gear shifter of the white vehicle and a cell phone was found on a chair inside the door of the detached garage. During a preview of the phone’s lock screen two received messages stated, “I need my gun,” and “I’m gonna come get it,” according to the report.

After completion of the search Tipton and the passenger were interviewed. Tipton initially denied driving past the victim’s house, but later revised his statement to say he drove past the house twice after being punched, but denied possessing, firing or having any firearm or ammunition in his vehicle, according to the report. When asked about the live round in the vehicle, Tipton stated that his mother must have placed it there and he had never seen it, despite it being in the open, the report states.

The passenger was deemed to not be a suspect based on evidence, and he was released from detention. He agreed to do a witness interview, stating that Tipton had picked him up near the old high school and offered him an opportunity to make some money, the report states. The passenger confirmed Tipton had been confronted and assaulted at the convenience store. He had noticed that Tipton was upset and bleeding from his face. The front seat passenger stated he observed the victim on his front porch as they approached, and Tipton produced a firearm from an unknown location, point it at the victim and fire two rounds out the driver side window before fleeing the scene, according to the report. When they arrived at Tipton’s home he went inside while Tipton went to the garage until shortly before the police arrived. The last time the passenger saw the gun was when Tipton placed it under the front seat of the vehicle while they were still driving around.

On Wednesday, Sept. 1 Ayers visited with Tipton at the Seminole County jail at Tipton’s request. Tipton told the officer that four or five months prior the victim had robbed him at gunpoint, although he had never reported it, the report states. After the robbery someone had jumped the victim and since then the victim had blamed Tipton for losing his eye, according to the report. Tipton stated that when he drove past the victim’s house after he was punched, the victim was standing on the porch with a shotgun in one hand and a mini vacuum in his other hand, he (Tipton) never fired a shot and sped away in fear, according to the report. When asked why the victim, the grandmother, and the passenger all had matching stories despite being unable to talk to match their stories, Tipton replied they must have all been lying, the report states.