Convicted felon arrested for firing pistol in the air near woman and her baby

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Cornelius Davon Henderson, 35, of Tallahassee, was arrested yesterday after allegedly firing a pistol in the air while threatening a former girlfriend and her baby.

The responding Gainesville Police Department officer reported that the victim took her one-year-old child to a residence in Pine Ridge to visit with friends; the victim told the officer that she saw Henderson while she was there, but he just bought “weed” and left the area.

The victim walked southbound on NW 23rd Terrace, and she told the officer that a maroon or burgundy car pulled alongside her, and Henderson asked her for a lighter. She said that when she told him she didn’t want anything to do with him, he became angry, held a purple handgun outside the vehicle, pointed it in the air, and said, “I’m gonna fire this [expletive] gun” before firing one bullet in the air. The victim said she was in fear for her safety when he fired the gun.

The victim’s friends in Pine Ridge reportedly told the officer that they heard a gunshot south of their residence.

The officer learned from law enforcement databases that Henderson and his current girlfriend had been pulled over in a red vehicle on June 29, and they found the vehicle, which was registered to Henderson’s girlfriend, parked outside her residence in Oak Glade.

The officer reported that while he was investigating the vehicle, Henderson’s girlfriend came outside and told him her vehicle had not been to Pine Ridge, Henderson was not in her residence, and her gun was locked up inside her residence. After a “lengthy” period, she reportedly admitted that Henderson had been living with her for a few months and that they had driven to Pine Ridge earlier that day to buy “weed.” She reportedly said she owns a purple gun and gave consent to remove it from her car; a loaded purple 9mm handgun was reportedly collected from her car.

The officer spoke to Henderson by phone, and he reportedly said he had left to go back to Tallahassee, had not been to Pine Ridge that day, had not spoken with the victim, and had not fired a gun. Henderson eventually came out of the residence and was detained, but he continued to deny having a gun that day.

A search at the jail reportedly produced a 9mm bullet in Henderson’s pocket.

Henderson has been charged with two counts of domestic aggravated assault with a firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. His full criminal history is unavailable because of the holiday, but he has served two state prison sentences, with his last release in October 2025. Judge Jonathan Ramsey set bail at $120,000.

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.