Mihail Tsvetkov, 40, was fatally shot on December 2, 2024, during a road rage confrontation on East Colonial Drive in Orlando, Florida. Tsvetkov, a professor with a Ph.D. in German linguistics who had accepted a university position in Illinois and was preparing to relocate to be closer to family, reportedly exited his car to address a tailgating incident calmly and without aggression. Witnesses say the woman who had been tailgating drew a firearm and shot him. A nurse anesthetist, Jennifer Garcia, stopped to help and found Tsvetkov with a pulse; he died shortly thereafter.

Tsvetkov’s sister, Daniela Cvetkova, described the family’s devastation and questioned why such force would be used against her brother, who she says posed no threat. The Orlando Police Department has not released the woman’s name and no charges had been filed as of this account; authorities are investigating whether claims of self-defense apply. If anyone witnessed the incident or has information about the shooting, please share what you know.