19-year-old indicted for murder committed while he was on probation

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – On November 20, an Alachua County Grand Jury issued an indictment against Terrell Nicholos Weeks, 19, for the murder of Tyren Certain on March 4, 2024, while Weeks was on probation in a previous case. He is also being held in connection with a March 2023 drive-by shooting at Linton Oaks when he was 17; a February 2024 shooting at Sweetwater Square, while he was on probation; and battery on another jail inmate.

Arrest at 17 for possession of a firearm leads to adult charges and probation

Weeks has juvenile convictions for battery by a person detained in a jail, disorderly conduct, and resisting an officer without violence; he was arrested again as a juvenile on May 18, 2023, when he was 17, and later charged as an adult with possession of a firearm by an adjudicated delinquent (a juvenile who has been convicted of a crime that would be a felony for an adult), possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana, resisting an officer without violence, and providing false identification information to law enforcement. That incident arose from a call about a stolen vehicle that was seen at The Polos Apartments.

Weeks, who was seen brandishing a firearm on a doorbell camera, ran from officers with two other suspects and was later apprehended at Arbor Apartments. Weeks told the officer his name was “Tyrique Simmons.”

On July 10, 2023, Weeks entered a plea of nolo contendere to all four charges, which have a maximum sentence of 18 years, and was sentenced by Judge William Davis to 35 days in jail with credit for 35 days served and three years of probation.

However, he violated his probation a little over a month later when his GPS monitoring device went into alarm status; he was given instructions on what to do in the future if that happened, and his probation continued with the same conditions.

Weeks turned 18 on August 6, 2023.

On January 19, 2024, a sworn complaint was filed, charging him as an adult with possession of a firearm by an adjudicated delinquent in connection with a drive-by shooting at Linton Oaks on March 12, 2023, when Weeks was 17.

On January 25, 2024, his GPS device indicated a “bracelet gone” alarm, and his probation officer noted that he had not shown up for his drug/alcohol evaluation appointment and had changed residences without telling the officer, leaving his GPS device behind. A warrant for his arrest was issued on January 26 for violating probation.

Valentine’s Day shooting at Sweetwater Square

On February 14, while Weeks was being sought for violating probation and for the Linton Oaks case, a group of four suspects shot at a group of people that included two young children at Sweetwater Square Apartments. Fortunately, the bullets did not hit anybody, but bullets were found in three occupied apartments.

March shooting death at Eastwood Meadows

On March 4, Tyren Certain was shot and killed at Eastwood Meadows, and Weeks was arrested the same day and charged with first-degree homicide (a 10-20-Life charge) and possession of a firearm by an adjudicated delinquent. Judge William Davis granted a motion from the State Attorney’s office to hold him without bail until trial, and Weeks has been in the Alachua County Jail since March 4.

On November 20, an Alachua County Grand Jury issued an indictment against Weeks in this case on both charges.

When he was arrested on March 4, he was also booked on warrants for violating probation and the Linton Oaks case; Judge Susan Miller-Jones ordered him held without bail for violating probation and set bail at $50,000 on the firearm possession charge in the Linton Oaks case.

Battery by a jail detainee

On April 1, Weeks allegedly punched another inmate who was on the phone at the jail and was charged with battery by a person detained in a jail. A formal charge has been filed in that case, and he is being held on $10,000 bail.

Charged in Sweetwater Square shooting in July

On July 11, Weeks was charged with attempted first-degree murder, firing a missile into a dwelling, fleeing with lights and sirens active, grand theft of a motor vehicle, grand theft of a firearm, and resisting an officer without violence for the February 14 shooting at Sweetwater Square. Judge Phillip Pena granted a motion from the State Attorney’s office to hold him without bail until trial.

Current status

Weeks, now 19, is currently facing the disposition of his violation of probation case (a second-degree felony and three misdemeanors), along with the following charges:

• First-degree homicide (Capital felony)
• Attempted first-degree homicide (Capital felony)
• Two counts of possession of a firearm by an adjudicated delinquent (Second-degree felony)
• Firing a missile into a dwelling (Second-degree felony)
• Battery by a jail detainee (Third-degree felony)

Unless the judges change their minds in all three cases in which he is being held without bail, he will remain in the Alachua County Jail until those cases are concluded.