84-Year-Old William Nowak Shoots Son After Becoming Upset Over Lack of Family Visits to Hospice Wife

An 84-year-old Florida man is facing an attempted murder charge after police say he shot his own son in the face during a heated family argument over how often relatives visited his home. The incident, which occurred earlier this week in Palm Bay, has drawn attention to the volatile mix of family conflict, caregiving stress, firearms access, and the pressures surrounding end-of-life care.

According to investigators, the shooting unfolded inside a household already strained by serious health challenges, culminating in a moment of extreme violence that left one man critically injured and another facing the possibility of spending the rest of his life behind bars. William Nowak, a longtime Palm Bay resident, was arrested after officers responded to an emergency call reporting that he had shot a family member.

The victim, Nowak’s adult son, survived the shooting but sustained severe injuries to his face and jaw. Court records and police affidavits outline a disturbing sequence of events that began as a verbal dispute and escalated rapidly into gunfire. The case now moves through the Florida criminal justice system as authorities seek to determine responsibility, intent, and the broader circumstances that led to the shooting.

Argument Over Family Visits Turns Violent Inside Palm Bay Home

Police say the confrontation occurred Tuesday evening at the Palm Bay home where William Nowak lived with his 85-year-old wife and their disabled daughter. According to the probable cause affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, officers were dispatched after a woman called 911 stating that her father-in-law had “just shot her husband in the head.” When officers arrived, they found the victim barely able to speak and suffering from a gunshot wound to the face.

The son was rushed to a hospital, where doctors determined that the bullet had fragmented upon impact, lodging pieces in his face and jaw. He was later sedated due to the severity of his injuries. Investigators noted that the wound was consistent with close-range gunfire, underscoring the seriousness of the incident and the potential for fatal consequences.

Interviews conducted at the scene revealed that the shooting followed an argument between William Nowak and his son and daughter-in-law. The couple told police they visited Nowak regularly, typically once a week. However, when they arrived at the home around 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nowak allegedly expressed anger that they had not visited over the previous weekend. What began as a verbal complaint reportedly escalated into a heated argument.

According to the affidavit, William Nowak eventually issued a direct threat to his son, telling him, “Get out of my house or I’m going to shoot you.” Moments later, investigators say, Nowak walked into his bedroom and retrieved a firearm. The victim’s wife reportedly followed him, pleading with him to put the gun down and attempting to de-escalate the situation. Her efforts were unsuccessful.

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Police allege that Nowak then returned toward his son, raised the firearm, and fired a single shot, striking him in the face. After the shooting, William Nowak reportedly walked back into the bedroom with the gun and appeared confused, saying something akin to “What just happened?” before breaking down in tears and screaming. These statements and behaviors were documented by officers as part of the affidavit supporting the arrest.

Caregiving Strain and Hospice Context Described by Investigators

Central to the case is the broader context of Nowak’s living situation and caregiving responsibilities. According to police records, Nowak’s wife had recently been placed on in-home hospice care. The affidavit states that William Nowak had been serving as the primary caregiver for both his wife and their disabled daughter, a role that can involve significant physical, emotional, and psychological strain, particularly for elderly caregivers.

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In-home hospice care is typically initiated when a patient is facing a life-limiting illness and focuses on comfort rather than curative treatment. While hospice services often include professional support, family members frequently shoulder much of the day-to-day caregiving burden. Investigators noted that Nowak had been managing these responsibilities within the household, a factor that may have contributed to heightened stress levels, though it does not mitigate the alleged criminal conduct.

The argument over family visits appears to have touched on this strain. Police said Nowak felt upset and possibly abandoned, believing that his family had not visited him or provided enough support during a difficult period. His son and daughter-in-law, however, told officers they visited weekly and did not believe they had neglected him. The discrepancy between perceived and actual support is a detail that prosecutors may explore as they examine motive and mental state.

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Following the shooting, Nowak himself was taken to a hospital due to dangerously high blood pressure. According to the detective’s affidavit, he appeared incoherent and was unable to answer questions at the time. Medical staff later cleared him for discharge, after which he was booked into the Brevard County Jail. A judge ordered that he be held without bond, reflecting the seriousness of the charge and the violent nature of the alleged offense.

While caregiving stress and age-related health concerns may be raised by the defense at later stages of the case, Florida law treats attempted murder as a first-degree felony when a firearm is used, carrying severe penalties if the defendant is convicted. The legal system will now determine whether any mitigating factors are relevant to sentencing, should the case proceed to that stage.

Legal Proceedings Ahead and Broader Implications of the Case

William Nowak has been formally charged with attempted murder, and his arraignment is scheduled for January 8. At that hearing, he is expected to enter a plea, after which the case will move toward pretrial motions, potential evidentiary hearings, and possibly a trial. Prosecutors will likely rely heavily on witness statements, physical evidence from the scene, medical records documenting the victim’s injuries, and Nowak’s own alleged statements following the shooting.

Defense attorneys may seek psychological evaluations or medical assessments to determine whether Nowak was experiencing cognitive impairment, acute stress reactions, or other conditions at the time of the incident. However, any such arguments would need to overcome the prosecution’s assertion that William Nowak made a clear verbal threat, retrieved a firearm intentionally, and discharged it at close range.

The case also raises broader questions about gun access in households experiencing crisis, particularly those involving elderly individuals under extreme emotional and physical stress. While Florida law allows firearm ownership, prosecutors may argue that the presence of a readily accessible weapon turned a domestic dispute into a near-fatal encounter within seconds. Advocates for gun safety often point to cases like this as examples of how quickly family conflicts can escalate when firearms are involved.

For the victim and his family, the focus remains on recovery and accountability. The long-term medical consequences of a gunshot wound to the face can be significant, potentially involving multiple surgeries, permanent disfigurement, or lasting impairment. As the legal process unfolds, the court will weigh the facts of the case against the law, determining responsibility for an act that has irrevocably altered the lives of everyone involved.

The shooting at the Palm Bay home stands as a stark example of how family tensions, caregiving pressures, and access to lethal weapons can converge with devastating results. With William Nowak now held in jail awaiting arraignment, the justice system will determine his fate, while the community grapples with the unsettling reality that such violence can erupt even within families bound by decades of shared history.