Alleged littering sparked Hingham road rage incident that ended with gunshots at library, police say

Police say it was a case of alleged littering that sparked a road rage incident in Hingham, Massachusetts Thursday that ended with gunshots fired in the town library's parking lot.

Steven License, a 60-year-old Hingham man, is being held without bail as he faces charges that include assault with intent to murder.

According to a Hingham police report, it all started on Route 53 when License's wife Mary "dropped a tissue out of her window." That's when a man in a pickup truck started following the couple.

After stopping in the library parking lot, police said surveillance footage shows that Mary License and the truck driver got out of their vehicles and started yelling at each other. That's when it's alleged that Steven License fired two shots from out of the passenger-side window, according to police.

License, who was taken to a hospital to be treated for stress-related symptoms, told police that he said to the truck driver, "I'm warning you, stay back," multiple times. 

The truck driver, a man in his 60s who was not injured, later spoke with officers. According to the police report, he said he is "extremely opposed to littering and cares for the environment and can't tolerate when people litter." He also said that during the encounter, he saw License with a gun in his hand and heard "the bullet fly by my ear. I heard the crack."

Police said in their report that they do not believe License's wife was ever in physical danger from the truck driver during the encounter. They also said that in 2022, License had his gun license suspended and about 50 guns were removed from his home. 

A dangerousness hearing is scheduled for July 29 in Hingham District Court.