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Alachua woman arrested after allegedly killing a woman and injuring a man in Christmas Day Walgreens shooting over custody dispute

Amanda Janzen

Staff report

Updated at 4:55 p.m. with bail amount.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Amanda Marie Janzen, 38, was arrested in Alachua yesterday following a 13-mile high-speed chase after allegedly killing a woman and injuring a man at a Gainesville Walgreens over a custody dispute.

According to the arrest report from Gainesville Police Department (GPD), Janzen and the male victim have been together since September 2021 and have an 11-month-old child. However, after the baby was born, Janzen came to believe that her baby’s father and another woman, the female victim, had been involved in an extramarital affair for years. Janzen reportedly told the female victim’s husband that she was having an affair, and several weeks later, her baby’s father filed paperwork in Putnam County for custody of the baby.

On December 20, a court ordered Janzen and the baby’s father to share custody 50/50, and the parents agreed that Janzen would turn over the baby at Walgreens at 3909 NW 13th Street at 2 p.m. on Christmas Day.

Janzen reportedly drove from her home in Alachua to the Walgreens store with her five children in her car. On the way, she reportedly pulled into a nearby store and gave her oldest son her debit card, food stamp card, and instructions on how to pay his cell phone bill. Her son reportedly told officers that she had never done this before.

Janzen reportedly arrived at the Walgreens store first and took a gun from her bag while still sitting in her car.

The victims arrived in the female victim’s car, with the woman driving and the man in the front passenger seat. The man got out of the car, then Janzen reportedly got out of her car with the gun in her hand but hidden behind her back and walked toward the driver’s side of the female victim’s car. Janzen allegedly shot at the female victim three times, then went around the back of the car toward the passenger side, where the male victim reportedly jumped into the car before Janzen allegedly shot him three times. Janzen reportedly said, “You made this happen!” while shooting the male victim. The incident was reportedly captured on surveillance video at the store.

The female victim died; the male victim’s condition has not been made public.

Janzen reportedly returned to her car and drove northbound on NW 13th Street at high speed. A GPD officer nearby reportedly heard the gunshots and saw the car leaving Walgreens. GPD officers, Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies, and Alachua Police Department officers reportedly pursued Janzen for 13 miles with her five children in the car at speeds of up to 100 mph.

During the pursuit, Janzen reportedly called 911 and said she had just shot two people, giving their first and last names, and said the police were following her. Her children could reportedly be heard pleading with her to pull over during the call.

Janzen was arrested near the Taco Bell in Alachua, where officers reportedly found a discarded firearm. A search incident to arrest reportedly produced two additional loaded magazines.

Post Miranda, Janzen reportedly said the police already knew what happened because they had reviewed surveillance video.

Janzen has been charged with first-degree homicide, attempted first-degree homicide, and five counts of child neglect without great bodily harm; a charge of fleeing is on the original arrest report but was crossed out. She has no recent criminal history but was convicted of passing worthless checks in 2004 and convicted of assault and resisting arrest in 2005. Judge Thomas Jaworski set bail at $2 million.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 

  • These 5 children and other families will never be the same over one bad choice! God be with these kids and families in Jesus name ❤️

  • It’s such a devastating situation, and those poor children will carry the weight of this experience with them forever. The impact on their mental well-being is immeasurable, and it will require a lifetime of therapy to help them heal.

  • This is so sad for her children! Did she actually think she could get away with this? My heart breaks for those kiddos.

    • I believe she knew she would not get away with it. She gave the cards and instructions to her son. I do believe she was seriously mentally unstable after the ruling by the courts (the incident makes it apparent) but I do believe there were probably markers aside from the cards that if noticed in the capacity that this isn’t normal would have foiled the whole incident. I have so much more to say about mental health but there isn’t enough time or space here:

    • She had no plans on getting away with which is why she gave her son the cards. She probably just panicked after the fact which is why she ran

  • Christmas is gonna suck for those kids. At least the ones that can remember Christmas 2023.

  • Sounds like a open and shut case of murder, premeditated murder. She knew exactly what she was doing. Murder is not the answer. Those poor children…

    • Not quite os case. The rroles amd behavior of the “husband/father” and mistress need to be inserted into the equation. Their actions were almost as despicable.

      • The woman was not his mistress. She has been one of his best friends for over 10 years. She was a loving faithful wife and mother of four children herself.

  • Post partum depression coupled with the thought of not having custody of your baby? She made some very bad choices, but there is no mental health help in Gainesville. It’s all a joke. She should have left the kids with someone if she felt so compelled to do this, but sadly she probably had no support system. I hope her kids get some therapy and can put this behind them.

    • Nothing this woman did was okay. Starting with having 5 children on a monthly income of $900. She thought they were going to be her ticket, but it looks like that didn’t work out so well for her. According to the court file, she initiated the action against that latest babies daddy to get money from him – yet she didn’t want him to see the baby. These kids are going to be messed up, no doubt, as a result of this, but, with a lot of mental health treatment, love and attention, they will be in better hands elsewhere than with her.

      • She sure pumps them kids out don’t she? According to the clerk of courts it looks like every one of her children has a different Daddy, strange how she can’t find a good guy lmmfo. Enjoy your life sentence at lowell.

        • If only she had had an abortion this wouldn’t have been a problem. Maybe Desantis would like to adopt them?!?

          • Idiot of the day award goes to you. She has all these kids by different fathers. The issue isn’t about abortion. The issue is about the fact she keeps getting pregnant by men who dont want to be daddies and who doesnt know the difference between love and lust (that also includes her). It’s obvious that neither the woman or men in her life understand responsibility of parenthood but want still keep pumping babies out to get free perks from the government. Yes I think there is mental illness on her part but she planned out the crime. She did not think of her childern when she was shooting up the car nor when she went on a 13 mile pursuit with police.

          • Because these people can not function in society. And why should we as tax payers fund these criminals. Off with her head !

      • I doubt they will find a group home and the necessary mental health help. The SIX children will be split up with little if any love and stability in their lives. Their mental baggage will probably prevent adoptions. More than sad.

    • Do not even try to play this card this sorry excuse of a drug addicted bitch knew exactly what she was doing and she did not have postpartum depression after 11 months she was mad her baby daddy upgrade his choice in a woman! Do not even try to make this psycho bitch the victim she shot them both 3 times she had the gun plus two extra clips ready this bitch planned their murders and endangered her 5 children’s life she deserves the death penalty! She is no victim period.

  • Premeditated or not he played mental abuse head games with Amanda . Saying you not seeing a woman supposibly that she was accusing him of . But then you roll up to to pick your child up with this same lady driving you wow i would have unloaded a whole clip on each probably no one knows the truth about the situation right down to him beating on Amanda each as for its own She was a strong woman and would fight for her kids and she meant she would go 10 toes up and to hell for hers

    • What ya get when ya join the circus! She sure knew how to pick them didn’t she? Hope you enjoy writing letters!

    • So, by your reckoning, it was fine that she killed an innocent woman and tried to kill a man because he was cheating and lying?

    • Going 10 toes up would have saved some rounds of ammo and been better for everyone. Maybe for her, too, depending on how she likes prison life.

      • IM TRYING TO GET HER BOND MAYBE WE CAN SEE IF SHE HITS A HIGH NOTE FOR ANOTHER SHE DONE ANYWAYS MAYBE A FEW MORE TO COME OFF THE MAP

    • Delusional family member. Amanda was in court on 12/20 and 50/50 custody was awarded then. She chewed on that for 5 days!!
      Then SHE decided her FATE!
      You and I both know DV never occurred with this man!! NICE TRY!

    • Murder is never ok !!!!!!!! Anna was a good person.she killed her over jealous and hate end of story.She deserves the death penalty

    • I seriously doubt you can afford the bond she’ll get if she even gets one. It’s crazy to me that you condone her shooting two people right in front of the kids that she’s “10 toes up and to hell for”

      • Many other ways to solve the cheating and if he was beating her than to go murder the parties and have your kids lives ruined…end of story.

      • NAH BRO SHE GOT A BOND AND IM WAITING FOR BONDSMAN GET BACK WITH ME SO THANK YOU

  • Probably the best outcome for the children, they MIGHT be adopted by a caring family andhavea shot atadecenteducation.

    They would appear to have had NO chance for anything resembling a promising future under her care.

  • How many different fathers do the kids have? Was the motive for that to get more handouts, but the reality in her mirror came to?

    • Yeah, she’s not exactly sugar baby material anymore. The pin through the eyebrow screams “I do hard drugs.” Who wants that?

  • This is not a loving mother. A loving mother would never have her children with her to carry out this horrific crime. She has scarred them for life. What if the man or woman had a gun and shot back killing one or more of these innocent children???? What if she crashed going 100 mph running from the police??? This woman’s actions are indefensible. Her repeated bad decisions brought her to this, including repeatedly bringing children into this world without the financial means….and clearly without the mental strength it takes to provide for them and keep them safe. My heart breaks for these children, I hope they find loving, stable homes.

  • This women was NOT mentally unstable it was pure jealousy and bitterness that made her do this horrible crime of taking another woman’s life and injuring another.

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