A Slidell man has been arrested for attempted manslaughter after he allegedly fired a gun at a motorist during a disagreement over tailgating.

Slidell police spokesman Capt. Kevin Foltz reported Gerard J. Schuler, 36, 905 Fairbanks St., was arrested Saturday morning on charges of attempted manslaughter and criminal damage to property.

The incident started around 4:45 a.m. Saturday in the southbound lane of U.S. Highway 11 between Pearl River and Slidell. Schuler was riding in a white SUV driven by a female. Her two children were also in the vehicle, which was being followed by the victim’s vehicle. According to the driver of Schuler’s vehicle, the victim was tailgating them on U.S. 11. When the two-lane highway became four lanes near Interstate 12, the victim passed the SUV and pulled in front of it. The driver of the white SUV flashed her bright lights at the victim’s car. The victim told police he “tapped” his brakes to alert the other driver her bright lights were on. However, the woman said the victim slammed on his brakes, bringing both vehicles to a stop.

The victim got out of his car to confront the other driver. He told police he heard a loud pop. Schuler allegedly threw the beer bottle, breaking the rear window of the victim’s car. The victim yelled he was calling the police and got back in his car to find his cellular phone, but he told police he had misplaced the phone.

The woman said the victim got into his car, and she thought he was reaching for a weapon as he searched for his cell phone. So she took off. The victim then followed the SUV to Schuler’s home.

While looking for his telephone again, the victim told police he saw Schuler get out of the woman’s vehicle and get into a van parked in his driveway. When Schuler got out of the van, the victim said Schuler had a handgun, and he proceeded to fire at the victim’s car five or six times. One of the bullets struck the left rear door of the victim’s car, according to Foltz. The victim fled the scene and called police.

When police confronted Schuler, he first denied firing his gun at the victim. Then police found a semiautomatic handgun in Schuler’s van, and he admitted to the shooting. He told police he didn’t want to hit the victim, just scare him. Schuler was arrested for attempted manslaughter and criminal damage to property.

He was booked at the Slidell Police Department and taken to St. Tammany Parish Jail, where he was released on a $5,000 bond.