SPRINGFIELD — A Livingston Parish homeowner spoke out after an alleged confrontation with a delivery driver that he says ended with gunfire toward his family. On April 15, officials in Mississippi arrested the man accused of firing the weapon. As of May 5, that man is now in the Livingston Parish Detention Center.
Earlier this year, Sean Grdinich said he, his wife, grandson and soon to be daughter-in-law were outside their home when a marked Amazon delivery van sped down the gravel road in front of their house.
Grdinich said the van was going about 40 miles per hour on the small road around 4 p.m.
“I went and confronted him about three houses down while he was delivering a package,” Grdinich told UWK. He said he wanted to make sure the driver knew he was speeding.
“He told me, ‘You don’t know who you’re talking to. I’m not the average mailman. I got that tool with me,’ referring to a gun,” Grdinich claimed.
After the exchange, Grdinich said he returned home while his wife called 911. As she was on the phone, the van drove past the house again.
That’s when the situation reportedly escalated.
“After he passed us, he stopped at the stop sign, hung a gun out the window and shot three shots at us,” Grdinich claimed.
He said the driver was several houses away at the stop sign, but believes the shots were intentional.
“He was a little ways down the road, but he did shoot at us. I saw the gun come out the window,” he said. “I told my wife, ‘He does have a gun,’ and then he fired three times.”
Grdinich said his initial reaction was to get into his vehicle and follow the van, but the 911 dispatcher told him not to.
“So I took the advice before it got out of control and went back home.”
He said the incident left his family shaken.
“Obviously he’s not scared to shoot his gun,” Grdinich said. “For about two weeks, (my wife) was worried that he was going to come back, knowing that we called the police and he lost his job.
“It’s just kind of mind-blowing that an Amazon driver would shoot at you.”
Grdinich said the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the incident and issued two warrants for the driver’s arrest.
UWK reached out to the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office for more details on the investigation and where it stands. After publication, LPSO shared that the driver in question was taken into custody earlier on April 15th.
The suspect, 35-year-old Jared Tillman (of Mississippi), was arrested in Jackson, Mississippi, with the help of the U.S. Marshals Service. Tillman was extradited to Livingston Parish, and on May 5, Tillman was booked into the Livingston Parish Detention Center.
He faces a charge of assault by drive-by shooting. His bond has been set at $25,000.
UWK also contacted Amazon for comment. A spokesperson said:
“The behavior described in this incident is unacceptable and does not reflect the high standards we hold for delivery partners. Upon learning of this incident, the driver was suspended and we worked directly with the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office to assist in their investigation. We take the safety of the communities we serve seriously. The driver isn’t an Amazon employee – they work for a Delivery Service Partner, which are small businesses that deliver to Amazon customers.”
The spokesperson added that delivery service partners are responsible for conducting background checks and handling discipline for their drivers.
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