HomeCrimeFour people shot overnight in Gainesville

Four people shot overnight in Gainesville

November 26, 2023

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Four people were shot in two separate incidents overnight in Gainesville, making a total of seven people shot in the city in a little over 48 hours, including one death. The first two shootings were near campus in the early hours of Friday morning.

According to Gainesville Police Department, three people were shot at a block party overnight near 500 SW 5th Avenue. Two people were shot in their lower extremities and were transported to a local hospital; a woman was driven to the hospital by a friend. None of the injuries appear to be life-threatening. The suspect in this shooting has not been identified.

At about 3:20 a.m., a juvenile male was shot in the leg in the area of 1000 E. University Avenue, near McDonald’s. Police do not have a description of the suspect.

Investigation is ongoing in both incidents.

  • Mayor Ward should be writing a cease fire letter to himself instead of Biden.

    Gainesville has become a crime ridden, violent hellscape, while our politicians cry behind their masks about “equity” and affordable housing.

  • Maybe the city should rent out the Hilton conference area again for another two-day gun violence summit. This is what happens when you blame inanimate objects in the name of political correctness instead of addressing the actual problem head on

    • Maybe the people who encourage gun ownership also will recognize that the guns aren’t leaping into the hands of criminals but are instead being stolen from irresponsible gun owners. Since we know criminals can’t be expected to be responsible, we potentially could do something about the irresponsibility of people who own firearms lawfully, and then the criminals who seem to prefer guns for their ease of use really would be relegated to committing their crimes with pointed sticks.

      • Yes, there are many irresponsible gun owners but I’m pretty sure you just created a straw man for your argument.
        Are you even sure whether or not the guns involved were stolen from lazy, irresponsible victims?

        The problem truly sits with the person who pulls the trigger…that shouldn’t even have to be said

        • No, what I wrote is neither fallacious nor a strawman argument. I have not distorted your point of view and argued against that. Clearly criminal behavior is a problem in its own right. Criminals pull triggers, brandish knives, and wave pointed sticks. The guns, the knives, and the sticks are a problem only when they’re allowed into the hands of those who shouldn’t have them.

          Rather, I have addressed a fact about gun violence in particular that gun enthusiasts conveniently ignore: convicted felons who commit violence with guns are often doing so with stolen firearms, since convicted felons are disallowed from obtaining firearms legally. That fact is supported by the news reports here and elsewhere in just the last couple of weeks. I can comment also on the reality that many of those stolen firearms, verified by news reports here and elsewhere recently, came from people who stored their firearms irresponsibly. In the instances where the firearms used by convicted criminals haven’t been stolen, they were obtained “legally” by way of loopholes (irresponsibility) that allowed someone otherwise disallowed from owning a firearm to come into possession of one anyway. Though it does happen, I can’t recall the last time I read about a firearm being stolen from a person or business that took proper measures to secure it. These facts should be painfully obvious to the crowd that keeps saying the law is sufficient as it is and needs only be applied.

          I cannot say the shootings referenced in this article were committed with stolen firearms, because these shooters haven’t been caught. But I can respond to the plethora of shootings in general committed with firearms verified to have been stolen. It’s appropriate to punish the criminal for pulling the trigger. It’s also appropriate to punish the person who allowed the criminal to get his hands on the trigger in the first place. Both are “actual problems” to be addressed “head on.”

          By the way, I mentioned only irresponsibility. I didn’t say anything about laziness. You can take that strawman and burn him in your own field if you like.

          • You’re assuming the people who are doing the shooting are already convicted felons. Not always the case. And i believe you are also forgetting about the businesses that sell firearms and are robbed. Is it their lack of being responsible gun owners? Cuz they certainly aren’t being HELD RESPONSIBLE. Just saying

          • The former case is a non-sequitur, because you can’t identify a criminal before he commits a crime, which is precisely why people here argue (and I agree) that the criminal is the problem more so than the tool used to commit the crime. I responded to the latter case (business) already. I never said crimes are always committed by previously convicted felons, nor did I say all guns are stolen from irresponsible persons or entities.

            Furthermore, these criminals are in fact being held to account (not very responsibly) under the laws (not very responsible) that allow them (irresponsibly) to walk away with a slap on the wrist.

            Solution: change the laws.

          • To answer these questions, Everytown researchers analyzed FBI crime data spanning 271 small- to large-size cities across 38 states. Collectively, these cities cover 49 million people. This analysis revealed that in 2020, an estimated 77,000 guns were reported stolen across these cities alone. This count is likely a conservative estimate since only 15 states require gun owners to report lost and stolen guns, so many missing guns go unreported. While guns can be stolen in a variety of ways (e.g., pickpocketing, burglary, robbery), in 2020, over half (52 percent) were stolen from cars. In effect, an average of at least one gun is stolen from a car every 15 minutes, amounting to an estimated 40,000 guns stolen from cars in 2020 across these 271 cities. This is a stark increase from 10 years earlier, when the majority of gun thefts were from burglaries (45 percent), and under a quarter (24 percent) were from cars.9 In fact, the past decade’s overall increase in gun thefts is driven by the rise in gun thefts from cars.

            source:
            https://everytownsupportfund.org/

            After spending some time in the military, been in Desert Storm and Afghanistan, the gun control laws are just fine…what is in need to be regulated is how easy is to get ammunitions.

            Guns don’t kill- bullet does, and you can buy them like candies.

          • As a prior resident of Gainesville fla also born an raised. It’s all extremely obvious to me that this gun violence comes from one major source, this new modern drug use epidemic Molly, aka MDMA. My classmates friends associates are dying rapidly overdoses, fentonal, gun violence etc, the guns are coming from a larger source the stree sellers are just pawns.

          • Absolutely! No doubt the many synthetic drugs are a main ingredient to this violence and criminal behavior. They were lab designed, manufactured and distributed to do such. Most current politicians refuse to acknowledge it. But since the government doesn’t stop the flow of international drugs it’s now time for families and local communities to step up and smack some sense into these lost souls before it’s too late

      • Irresponsible gun owners! Seriously?! Many guns have gone missing due to burglaries, how is that irresponsible? Breaking in and stealing people’s stuff. Ignorant people that cannot seem to keep their hands to themselves is the real problem! Shove that up your nose!

        • One problem is thieves. The other problem is people thinking they don’t have to do anything proactive about the thieves they assume are eyeing their stuff. Sleep with your gun under your pillow at night if you want. Carry your gun in your car with you if you want. But when you’re not with your gun, lock it up–securely and responsibly–if you don’t want it stolen. A gun isn’t just a thousand-dollar phone that you insure. Stop treating it like one. Leaving a deadly weapon hidden on top of the refrigerator or tucked under the seat of a car is not securing it responsibly. Treat the firearm with the respect it deserves. Merely hoping thieves don’t break in and expecting the government to solve the problem for you is irresponsible.

      • Are fkn high or insane? It’s your idiot liberal catch and release policies thats the real problem. You get what you vote for. I digress, your vote has created “Gunsville”, not an inanimate object.

        • I haven’t voted for any of the clowns on either side. If your vote has been impotent, take it up with the people you vote for and tell them to do a better job.

      • Blame your Dem friends in Hollyweird and rap videos. They’ve been glorifying gun violence 100 and 30+ years, respectively.

        • I don’t own a television, and I don’t watch movies. I also don’t vote for either party. I’m in favor of doing away with all of it. Take your strawman and burn it in someone else’s field, and try to avoid getting shot by a criminal wielding someone’s stolen gun while you’re at it.

          • I appreciate your sane comments Michael, but not all guns obtained by teenagers and felons are stolen. By definition, they were obtained illegally or legally by too weak to non-existent gun sale laws. The fact is that the US leads the developed world in gun deaths by a mile, and we have not only more guns than any of the other – by a mile – but too easy access to them and the the highest incarceration rates. What gun freaks advocate – more guns and tougher enforcement – is clearly failing spectacularly.

            The easiest answer in the short term is enactment of stricter gun laws, which an overwhelming majority of Americans favor. No, the archaic “militia” which none of us have ever been called up for and never will be, is not an excuse for Uncle Bob to have an arsenal of lethal toys to get off on, nor for us to allow a national situation – including in Gainesville and every red and blue city and state – of teenagers riding around playing Tupac and Biggie with live ammo.

            Enough!

    • Someone had to hold the guns and pull the trigger. If guns weren’t so accessible this wouldn’t happen. That’s a FACT, something you obviously know nothing about.

      • They would just use a knife or baseball bat, people are going to continue killing people, we always have and always will.

  • Wokeville is just like every other democrat ran city over ran with homeless and felons it says a lot about the voters in the city

    • Safe to say you’re one of the people cussing GPD out at these events for breaking them up and then crying for GPD when the inevitable shots ring out. Can’t have it both ways snowflake

  • The economic heart of Alachua County will hasten its move from center city to the west if the City of Gainesville fails to control its growing violence.

  • What was a juvenile doing out at 3:20 a m where was the parents, sounds like child neglect!

    • One word: Curfew. If one does not have legitimate business on the street past a certain hour, then they are subject to arrest. Most all communities had some form of curfew in the past.

  • Harvey Ward’s Gainesville. With honorable mention to Lauren Poe because Ward is a student of Poe’s governance

  • The people pulling the trigger don’t care how many cops are standing on the corner. The city could have 10 on duty, or they could have 60, it doesn’t matter. The shooting might even happen with the cops standing right there.

    The shooters clearly cannot control their emotions and the only thing law enforcement can do is respond to it. Shootings are rarely deterred beforehand. Keep that in mind when you leave your home unarmed.

    • Consequences. If there are no consistent consequences for illegal possession or use of guns, the under 25 thugs will continue to steal, carry and shoot other people.

  • More people shot? WTF?! This can be reduced by actually severely punishing violent criminals.

    • That would take votes putting the right judges district attorneys into office who would actually do the job and follow the law. Not some bleeding. Heart woke idiots that we have an office now. Who believes everyone deserves 10,15,20 chances low bail or ROR

  • You’ll talk your holy than thou stuff, my grandsons murder hasn’t been solved yet. Good you man.
    Tarik Simmons 10/22/97-2021 8th ave store drive by. People don’t care but, my first grand baby, never will be forgotten, get on your jobs. Period point blank

    • Surprised they haven’t already!
      But Gainesville has GOT to be on their radar by now.

  • Love how some readers on this site run around clutching their pearls about “CRIME” and guarantee how to fix it.

    All I can say is DON’T watch TV20 or read their web page, crime in Republican lead Lake City and Ocala is something fierce! Those places scare me…stay away!

    • Yes lake city and ocala have their problems with gun violence but one thing they both share with Gainesville is not locations within the state. It all about demographics and raising kids right. look at all the areas that these shooting are occurring and you see the light. Sorry to burst your bubble

  • Fat Harvey , and fellow commies own this rampant wild bunch and the judges that let them roam. Wokesville is going down in a lawless regime the commissioners for some sick reason thrive on.

  • My suggestion is to get rid of assault weapons. No non-military family or single person needs an AK 47.

  • Rest in Peace to everyone in families killed by Gun violence. Everybody will be held accountable by GOD for their violent behaviors.
    My Prayers for Strength are with the families and that there are more sports and job opportunities for those with nothing to do.🙏🙏

    • There was a time when if one ‘did not do’ one ‘did not eat’. That is the trouble: No impetuous to ‘do’ when the Government plays Daddy.

  • Going back 1997, the majority of the members on the Gainesville City Commission, started enacting city policies that created a culture of underage binge drinking and other associated drug and violent crime problems.

    Under Mayor Poe and Ward, with their drinking in the streets policies/etc., crime appears to have taken a brand new high.

    Hard to measure when the people drinking in the streets/etc. out number Gainesville’s police officers.

  • I wonder where the NAACP is. No peace walks, no blaming, no TV opportunities, to justify their existence. If they truly care about their community. Start walking at night and addressing these issues. Instead of patting yourselves on the back, of how “Great” you all are. Go to locations like the 8th avenue store and ask these fine young people future doctors and lawyers what they are up to. And quit asking for money, jobs and midnight basketball. It’s the darn family values. There are plenty of jobs in Gainesville. The problem is if you don’t have a work ethic other than hanging out listening to “CRAP” music, selling drugs for quick buck or stealing.
    A civilized society can’t help you. The “It takes a Village” mentality is “BS” it takes a family.

    • The naacp and blm only get involved if a white person does the shooting it helps them raise money that’s all they care about

  • We’re officially a big city now, just like Jax and Orlando.
    500 SW 5th Ave illegal block party was in the Porters historic area, next to expensive student apts. I hope the city triples GPD’s soon, before we get more bad PR like 1990.

    • Also, that location is real close to the criminal court, defense and DA offices. Just move the block parties a few blocks and maybe stray bullets will piece their windows, see if they notice it.

  • Irresponsible parenting. Lack of a father figure in the home. Fear of your own children. Raising a victim.
    Allowing violent video games with gun violence on TV and social media.
    Lost faith in God and Country.
    My solution: Reenact the draft. Mandate all over 18 spend 3 years in the military.

  • What the heck is a so called “block party”? Everybody gets together in the wee hours drinking & druggin until the shooting starts?

  • Happy Thanksgiving. Can’t wait for the Christmas stats. Can’t hide the ugly truth of a single group killing each other.

  • For Gpd to be so short staff, instead of chasing a young man on a stolen moped, who drowned and lost his life. We had 4 shootings no suspect wtf you need y’all for, it’s not enough force to solve gun control crimes

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