Gainesville teen charged with attempted murder in February 14 Sweetwater Square shooting

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – James Leon Johnson II, 18, who was arrested on February 14 in connection with a shooting at Sweetwater Square Apartments, has now been charged with first-degree attempted murder and shooting into a dwelling.

At about 1:06 p.m. on February 14, Gainesville Police Department officers responded to calls from the area of 3101 NE 15th Street that several shots had been fired from an orange and white Chevrolet Avalanche. Officers confirmed that four different apartments were hit by bullets, and bullets were found inside three apartments, all of which were occupied at the time. Numerous 9 mm and 10 mm shell casings were reportedly found in the south wood line between the apartment complex and NE 31st Avenue.

Video surveillance reportedly showed the Avalanche, which had been reported stolen in Alachua County, driving into the complex just before the shooting. The vehicle drove past six people and then left the complex; it stopped along the wood line on the south side of the complex, then three people got out of the vehicle and ran northbound into the Sweetwater Square property. The three people shot at the six people, then fled back through the woods to the Avalanche, which fled eastbound on NE 31st Avenue toward Waldo Road. The six victims fled into an apartment.

Officers found the vehicle on NE Waldo Road and attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but the vehicle reportedly fled at high speed, and officers eventually discontinued the chase. The car was later found, unoccupied, in the 300 block of NE 25th Street. Officers reportedly saw a group of people fleeing on foot from the vehicle and apprehended Johnson in the 200 block of SE 26th Street.

A firearm was reportedly located under Johnson when officers placed him in handcuffs, and the keys to the Avalanche were reportedly found during a search incident to arrest. The firearm, a 10 mm Glock, had been reported stolen in Clay County in 2022.

Further investigation found that the 10mm shell casings matched the Glock firearm that was reportedly in Johnson’s possession.

Officers obtained Johnson’s cell phone records, and they reportedly showed that Johnson, who does not live near Sweetwater Square, was at the apartment complex at 7:21 a.m. and 10:57 a.m. on the day of the shooting. Video surveillance reportedly showed a car owned by Johnson driving through the complex at 7:19 a.m.

Johnson was previously charged with grand theft of a firearm, grand theft of a vehicle, fleeing, and resisting an officer without violence and has been held on $37,000 bail on those charges (Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $107,000, but Judge Phillip Pena reduced it to $37,000 after Johnson’s lawyer argued that Johnson was indigent and unable to post the original bond). On March 12, Johnson was charged with illegally carrying a concealed firearm, and bail was set at $40,000 on that charge. Today, Judge Thomas Jaworski ordered Johnson held without bond on the attempted murder charge, pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s Office to hold him without bond until the case is resolved, to protect the community.

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.