On a tragic Saturday, June 6, 2026, in a small trailer park on Orange Hill Road in Chipley, Florida, the life of Christopher Gomelski was cut short by gunfire. A 911 call pierced the quiet of the day, reporting that Gomelski had been shot and the alleged shooter was in a neighboring residence, armed and attempting to flee. When deputies from the Washington County Sheriff's Office arrived at the scene, they discovered the adult male, Gomelski, lying on the ground. He was pronounced deceased at the scene by Washington County EMS. The proximity of the incident was startling, as both the victim and the suspect were residents of the same small community.
Emerging from a nearby home with his hands raised was Carl Woodrow Rogers, who was immediately identified by multiple witnesses as the shooter. Rogers, a convicted felon with an extensive criminal history, was taken into custody without incident. The fact that he was a convicted felon made his possession of a firearm illegal. A search of the residence he exited revealed drug paraphernalia and a substance that tested positive for methamphetamine. During questioning at the Washington County Sheriff's Office, Rogers confessed to shooting Gomelski approximately five to six times.
The motive, as described by Rogers, was a bizarre and ultimately unfounded grievance. He claimed that he had shown Gomelski a photograph of his one-year-old daughter and became enraged by Gomelski's reaction. Rogers further alleged that Gomelski possessed inappropriate pictures of his daughter, a claim that investigators later determined to be false after examining the photographs in question, which depicted a fully clothed child with nothing inappropriate about them. Following the shooting, Rogers reportedly threatened a neighbor who approached the area, warning him not to come closer. Adding to the disturbing nature of the events, Rogers' own mother, with whom he lived, told investigators that her son had been "talking out of his head" for several days prior to the fatal encounter. This case is a somber reminder of how a dispute, fueled by delusion and the illegal possession of a firearm, can escalate into a senseless tragedy. Carl Woodrow Rogers was arrested and booked into the Washington County Jail, facing serious charges of second-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and two counts of aggravated assault.
