Gainesville man charged with attempted murder after allegedly shooting man in chest during argument

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jayvonta Emanuel Williams, 30, was arrested last night and charged with shooting another man in the chest in the Pine Ridge neighborhood at about midnight Saturday night.

At 12:05 a.m. on April 28, Gainesville Police Department officers responded to a call about a shooting in the 5800 block of NW 23rd Terrace and found a male victim inside an apartment with a single gunshot wound to his chest. The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries.

A woman who was inside the apartment during the incident reportedly said that she had been in the kitchen, cooking food that the victim had brought, and Williams, described as a barber, had been cutting another person’s hair in the kitchen while she cooked. She said the victim came in and started antagonizing Williams, saying he had stolen Williams’ property recently. She said Williams and the victim went outside, she heard a single gunshot, and the victim came back inside. She said Williams did not come back inside.

Another woman who had been at the apartment during the incident reportedly told an officer that the victim had brought food over, and a meal was being prepared “for everyone.” She said the victim came inside, and Williams asked him to leave because the victim had stolen property from him the previous night. She said she went to the other side of the apartment but could hear Williams and the victim talking outside the apartment. She said she heard Williams tell the victim, “Don’t walk up on me,” then she heard one gunshot. She said the victim ran into her bedroom and collapsed on the floor.

An officer found one 9mm shell about 15 feet outside the front door of the apartment and found hair-cutting equipment in the kitchen, a gun case for a 9mm pistol, and multiple rounds of 9mm ammunition. Officers also reportedly found a trail of blood leading from the front door to the back bedroom.

Officers spoke with the victim at the hospital on Monday, and he reportedly said he had brought food to the apartment; he said he has had issues with Williams in the past and that Williams was at the apartment, cutting someone’s hair. He said he started arguing with Williams but then asked him to shake hands to defuse the situation. He said Williams refused to shake his hand, so he asked him to go outside to fight. He said that when the two men went outside, he initially had his back turned to Williams, then turned around ; he said Williams said, “Wassup, you ready?” and shot him in the chest. He said he didn’t have a weapon at any time.

Williams reportedly contacted law enforcement on Monday and asked to be picked up in Pine Ridge. Post Miranda, Williams reportedly said he cuts hair at the apartment and was cutting someone’s hair in the kitchen on April 28 when the victim arrived; the two of them began arguing, and he said he asked the victim to leave, but the victim replied, “You want me to do you here or outside?” He said he picked up a 9mm pistol and followed the victim outside. He said he and the victim were 10 or 15 feet apart, and he warned the victim to stay back. He said the victim came toward him, then he took a step back and fired a single shot at the victim. He said the victim went into the apartment, and he stayed at the scene “for some time” but later left. He said he discarded the firearm in a lake and would not give any more information about the location of the lake.

Williams has been charged with attempted first-degree murder. He has one felony conviction (non-violent) and one misdemeanor conviction (violent). He has a pending domestic battery case. Prosecutors told Judge Susan Miller-Jones that they intend to file a motion to hold Williams without bail until trial, and Judge Miller-Jones ordered him held without bail until 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.