Oklahoma judge already facing wild Texas road rage shooting charges similarly accused of drive-by shooting at his brother-in-law's house with gun he later reported stolen

Judge Brian Lovell (left) in a Garfield County Court photo, (right) in a Travis County Sheriff’s Office mug shot.

An Oklahoma judge already facing a felony case in Texas in connection with an alleged drive-by shooting and road rage crash now faces an indictment for allegedly perpetrating a drive-by shooting at his brother in-law’s house in the Sooner State.

The latest charges against against Garfield County Associate Judge Brian Lovell, 58, actually stemmed from an incident that preceded the Texas case in the 2023 shooting timeline.

Lovell, on Feb. 12, 2023, allegedly used a vehicle (though the indictment doesn’t specify the type) while intentionally shooting a Glock 23 40-caliber pistol “with conscious disregard for the safety of another person or persons” at or into a Bison dwelling within Garfield County that belonged to his brother-in-law, Kenneth Markes.

Lovell attorney Stephen Jones told the Enid News & Eagle that while defendant and his wife have “fully” cooperated, the state’s evidence is too scant at the stage to lead to a conviction.

“As far as the merits of the charge and the defense, we do not at this time have the discovery material which in due course will be made available to us. From our own investigation the evidence is insufficient to convince a jury beyond a reasonable doubt, which is the standard, that he has committed any offense,” Jones reportedly said. “We intend to defend the case vigorously and during the course of the investigation the Judge and Mrs. Lovell have cooperated fully.”

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced the drive-by shooting indictment last Thursday and said it was similar in nature to a shooting in Austin, Texas, on September 11 last year, approximately seven months after the alleged Oklahoma drive-by. The AG said that Lovell reported his gun stolen two days after the February 2023 shooting, but authorities allege that was the same pistol used in the ensuing September 2023 shooting.

“Investigators allege he used the same gun, a Glock 23 .40-caliber, in both the Texas and Oklahoma shootings,” the AG’s office said.

As Law&Crime previously reported on the Texas incident , Lovell was accused of whipping out a pistol while behind the wheel of an SUV, opening fire into at least six parked cars, and engaging in road rage ramming behavior. He was accused of twice ramming his SUV into a woman’s car in an attempt to push the vehicle into oncoming traffic in the felony case.

An affidavit said that Lovell “discharged a firearm approximately five times while driving down the street” that day and that the proof was in the bullet holes that marred parked cars. Authorities also said that video recordings captured the drive-by bullet barrage. But even as cops tried to figure out what was going on with the shooting, there was a second 911 call about Lovell, this one about a crash he allegedly caused with intent.

While speaking with Lovell, the affidavit alleged, cops saw a pistol magazine in the driver’s side door pocket of his SUV and the gun itself on the front passenger floorboard.

“Based on video evidence of the collision, an independent witness, and the victim of the collision, it is believed that Lovell intentionally struck the other vehicle involved in the collision and engaged in a verbal argument with the other driver,” the affidavit continued, noting that there were two road rage collisions.

Investigators said the victim was stopped at a traffic light and Lovell “nearly” pushed her car “into cross traffic.”

After his arrest, the judge allegedly claimed not to remember anything about the shooting but acknowledged rear-ending the other driver who “cut him off.” Cops said he “did not admit the collisions were intentional,” though.

Read the Oklahoma indictment here .

Jerry Lambe contributed to this report.

The post Oklahoma judge already facing wild Texas road rage shooting charges similarly accused of drive-by shooting at his brother-in-law’s house with gun he later reported stolen first appeared on Law & Crime .