'Like a war zone': Survivors of murder-for-hire plot describe Collier County shooting in court

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. —

Two survivors of a 2023 shooting in Collier County took the stand Wednesday, giving emotional testimony about the night they were shot while driving home and the lasting injuries they still live with today.

The testimony came during the trial of Rebecca Gabay and Ryan Toranzo.

Prosecutors say the two are tied to the June 1, 2023, shooting of Scotty McCandless and his wife, Amy Chesser, along Immokalee Road in Collier County.

McCandless told jurors he and Chesser were heading home from a date night when gunfire suddenly erupted.

“We were driving down Immokalee Road, all of a sudden, gunshots went off,” McCandless testified.

He said the shots kept coming “like a war zone.”

McCandless told jurors he was struck below his left eye and then hit again in the back of the head before their truck crashed and flipped over.

He said he feared the shooters would return.

“I said we have to get out of this car, they’re going to come back and kill us,” McCandless testified.

Jurors were also shown a deputy’s body-worn camera video from the crash scene. In the footage, McCandless could be seen bloodied and in pain as first responders rushed to help.

McCandless said the shooting left him with daily back pain, vision loss and a permanent shunt in his head.

He also testified that Rebecca Gabay, his ex-wife, never contacted him while he was in the hospital or rehabilitation.

Later in the day, Chesser took the stand and described how the shooting permanently changed her life.

She testified the bullet remains lodged in her head because it is too dangerous to remove.

Chesser said she suffered strokes, partial paralysis, memory issues and had to relearn how to walk, talk and care for herself.

“I wanted to die,” Chesser testified, describing the months after the shooting.

She also told jurors she now struggles with anxiety while in a car, going to the mailbox, and fears someone could come back to hurt her again.

Both defendants were present in court Wednesday with their attorneys. Toranzo remains in custody, while Gabay is out on bond.

Prosecutors have also focused on an ongoing custody dispute, saying the shooting happened just two days before McCandless was set to receive more parenting time with the couple’s two sons.

Testimony is expected to continue Thursday in Collier County.

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