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Man who wanted to set up “kill zone” arrested for shooting outside home

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Gary Lamar Brannon, 65, was arrested yesterday and charged with three counts of armed burglary, three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and firing a weapon on residential property after he allegedly tried to break into a home and then fired a gun outside the home. Brannon reportedly said he was upset with the residents of the home because they had secured gas cans he intended to use to set up a “kill zone.”

The victims told an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy that Brannon previously entered their house about a week ago, wearing swim trunks and covered in mud, as if he were trying to camouflage himself in the woods. The victims said after that incident, they found numerous gas cans in the woods, hidden under tree limbs and brush and containing about 10 gallons of gas. The victims said they secured the gas cans and began locking their property to protect themselves against Brannon.

The victims reportedly said that at about 8 a.m. yesterday, Brannon entered their property and tried to enter the house through both the front and back doors. He then started knocking on a back window and became progressively more upset. Brannon allegedly began shooting a gun outside the home while demanding that the victims come out. The victims said they were in fear for their lives when Brannon started shooting after trying to force his way into their home.

A deputy made contact with Brannon, who was driving a car with North Carolina tags, near the intersection of NW 156th Avenue and NW 29th Street. After Brannon surrendered, the deputy reportedly found a pistol on the front seat of the car with the slide pulled back and an empty magazine.

Brannon reportedly stated spontaneously that he had stolen the pistol earlier in the day because he wanted the pistol owner’s DNA to be found at the scene of the crime. Brannon reportedly said he was in the area because his 92-year-old aunt was being abused and he wanted to create a “kill zone” for anyone involved. He reportedly said that the “kill zone” would be a trap he planned to make by cutting trees down in the roadway in front of and behind the target vehicle. Once the target vehicle was trapped, he said, he planned to set the vehicle and its occupants on fire. He reportedly specifically mentioned a car parked on the victims’ property as a target.

Post Miranda, Brannon reportedly said he wanted to scare one of the victims but said he would not have hurt him; he admitted firing the gun until he ran out of bullets. He said he wanted to retrieve the gas cans he had left behind and said he was mad at the victims for hiding the gas cans. Brannon reportedly said several times that the “kill zone” was intended to kill people and that “he himself was a lethal weapon.” He also reportedly said he would come back to take revenge on the victims.

Deputies reportedly found five shell casings within 20 feet of the home.

The owner of the pistol declined to press charges.

Brannon has no criminal convictions but has a pending misdemeanor case for resisting arrest in Brevard County; Judge George Wright set bail at $1.6 million.

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. 

  • Serious need of mental health evaluation and some time away from the public. His statements are obvious proof of that.

  • “Man who wanted to set up “kill zone” arrested”
    Sounds more like he was living in a cuckoo zone to me.

  • Isn’t theft of a firearm a felony? Why does it matter if the owner “declines to press charges”? No charge for having the gun on open display in the car? This deputy might need some training.

    • Sounds like you need to brush up on your understanding of the law. The owner chose not to press charges so what if it’s a felony. I don’t get your confusion.

  • Something has obviously killed his brain cells.
    Scary part is the lethality he claims to have is all that crazy bottled up in his skull…like bag full of cats crazy and he’s allegedly been planning this.
    Best lock him up.

  • Sounds like he might be an escapee from the nearby Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary. Or maybe from the Critter Creek Farm Sanctuary, also nearby. Probably not escaped from Lubee Bat Conservancy, since there’s no report that he sported wings.

  • He’s probably in the Shands psych unit now. The mugshot was just for protocol, I hope. Sad how dementia and psychoses mix sometimes.

  • There’s an interesting theme in the comments on this site. When black folks are reported to commit outrageous criminal activity, there’s a uniform call in the comments to lock them up and throw away the key. But when the arrested person is white, it’s a mental health issue. I’m sure this theme is just a coincidence….

    • You did note I’m sure, that the White guy has had no previous arrest, meanwhile the black guy featured just before him had: “Williams, a designated Career Offender, has eight felony convictions (six violent) and eight misdemeanor convictions (one violent); he has served five prison sentences, with his most recent release in 2019. Since his last conviction on a felony battery charge in March 2022, charges against Williams have been dropped in two battery cases and two aggravated battery cases.”

      Think that might have made a difference in how they were treated rather than “waaayyyyyysssssim?”

    • Think maybe because the black guy had a list of convictions a mile long, including violent felonies, and the old White guy had none might have something to do with it? Hummmmm?

      • No it didn’t say he had no convictions. it said he had no local criminal convictions. seeing how it was the weekend and they couldn’t give you any bail information they also couldn’t give you any information where he might have had some convictions out of state. it was stated in the article that he was had North Carolina tags and he was from out of state.

        • Bail info and criminal history come from different places. Criminal history is available nationwide 24/7 to law enforcement.

          • Yes, but the media doesn’t have access to anything except local convictions until the First Appearance Order is posted on Monday. Sometimes the officer gives criminal history info in the arrest report, but it is not standard.

    • The Chronical won’t let me comment but maybe I can get this through: the one guy had a list of convictions a mile long, including violent felonies, the other guy had none. Think that might be the reason rather than wayyyyssssim?

  • What a difference between how law enforcement treats black and white suspects. If he was black, we’d be talking about a dead man. An old white guy; every consideration extended and he’s back at home.

    • Is he back home? Didn’t see any information on bail or release.
      In case you missed the other couple of recent articles…Career offender arrested; Man arrested for causing property damage, (and tree damage); Convicted felon arrested after high speed chase; Pair arrested after allegedly taking child at gunpoint.

      They were all black and all arrested. Your theory is wrong. Granted, it’s not always the case but in these instances it counters your attempt at vilifying LEOs.

    • Oh horse pucky. The old guy had NO record, no convictions, no anything. That’s why he was treated the way he was, not because of his color. SMH

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