Career offender arrested for December 5 shooting in the Ridgeview neighborhood

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jermaine Williams, 43, was arrested last night and charged with shooting a man on December 5 in the Ridgeview neighborhood.

At about 6:30 p.m. on December 5, Gainesville Police Department officers responded to a call about a shooting in the 3200 block of NW 21st Street. The victim said he had been arguing earlier in the day with Williams by text, and he invited Williams to his home to fight.

The victim said Williams sent him a text that said, “I’m outside,” so he walked outside, where he heard Williams call to him and saw him standing about 30 feet away. He said that when he started walking toward Williams, Williams fired a single shot at him, and he heard the bullet as it passed him, but it did not hit him; however, he believed Williams intended to kill him. The victim said he called 911 and Williams left the area on foot.

Officers found a single .25 caliber shell casing near where the victim said Williams had been standing, and a single bullet hit a mailbox behind where the victim had been standing. An officer noted that the height of the bullet impact indicated that Williams was trying to shoot the victim, as opposed to firing at the ground or into the air.

A witness said that a single gunshot was heard before officers arrived. A second witness, who knew Williams, said Williams was seen in the area of the shooting shortly after the shooting, and Williams told the witness that he had just shot at the victim.

Post Miranda, Williams did not want to answer any questions without a lawyer.

As a career offender, Williams is required to report his address to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ASO), but a GPD officer investigating the shooting learned that the man who leased the property at Williams’ registered address had passed away in August, and Williams had to leave the property because it was leased to a new tenant. ASO told the GPD officer that Williams had not updated his address, so he has also been charged with failing to register a change of address as a career offender.

Williams has been charged with attempted first-degree homicide, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and failure to report a change of address as a career offender. He has nine felony convictions (five violent) and four misdemeanor convictions (non-violent), and he has served three state prison sentences, with his most recent release in 2015. Judge Julie Johnson ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s office to hold him without bail until trial; if the judge denies the motion, bail will be set at that hearing.

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.