Hawthorne man arrested after allegedly shooting squirrel in residential neighborhood

Staff report

HAWTHORNE, Fla. – Adrion Keith Flowers, 26, was arrested yesterday after allegedly shooting a squirrel on residential private property; he also allegedly had 38 grams of marijuana and a scale with him when he was arrested.

At about 2:36 p.m. on January 1, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to a home in the 22600 block of SE 62nd Avenue in Hawthorne, where the resident reported that a man was walking through her yard with a rifle; the resident reportedly provided photos and videos of a black man wearing a reddish-orange shirt and carrying a backpack, a white bag, and a long gun. The deputy reported that one video showed the man in the victim’s yard, reaching down to pick up a squirrel and put it in the white bag.

Deputies reportedly found Flowers in the 5900 block of SE 226th Street, wearing the clothes shown in the pictures and carrying a rifle; when a deputy ordered him to drop the rifle, he complied. As the deputies were detaining him in handcuffs, Flowers reportedly stated spontaneously that he was killing squirrels with a pellet gun. The deputies reported finding multiple dead squirrels in the white bag.

The arresting deputy reported that Flowers had “an overwhelming smell of marijuana coming from his person,” and a search of his backpack reportedly produced 38 grams of marijuana in three bags, a scale, and two mason jars containing marijuana. Flowers reportedly said he had a marijuana card and the marijuana was legal, but the deputy noted that breaking down marijuana into separate bags to be weighed is an indication of intent to sell it.

The rifle was described as an air pellet rifle.

Post Miranda, Flowers reportedly declined to answer any questions.

Flowers has been charged with firing a potentially dangerous projectile across private property to take wild game, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He has juvenile convictions between 2013 and 2016, two adult felony convictions (none violent), and five adult misdemeanor convictions (two violent). He was arrested for domestic battery in April 2024 after an incident at Harbor Cove (6815 W. University Avenue), but the charges were later dropped. Judge Adam Lee set bail at $50,000.

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.