Modern Age Tobacco owner arrested after allegedly shooting from his apartment at Huntington Lakes

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Patrick Alfred Patton, Jr., 42, was arrested last night after allegedly shooting from his apartment at Huntington Lakes and telling deputies that there were multiple people inside his apartment with serious injuries.

At about 10 p.m. on March 15, Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a report of shots fired at Huntington Lakes Apartments (4500 NW 39th Avenue) and determined that the shooter was in an apartment in building T. After a stand-off of about 45 minutes, Patton came out of his apartment and reportedly told deputies that there were multiple people inside his apartment with serious injuries.

Deputies cleared the apartment and found nobody else inside, but they reportedly found two shotguns, three semi-automatic firearms, magazines from multiple firearms, discharged shells from multiple firearms, a large quantity of marijuana in plain view, and aerosol cans consistent with doing “whippets.” Deputies also reported damage to the walls and glass in the apartment, consistent with bullet impacts.

One bullet reportedly hit the fence near the complex’s swimming pool, and one bullet landed in the pool itself, but deputies reported no damage to the pool’s foundation. Two pool chairs and the pool fence were reportedly damaged by bullets.

A car in the parking lot was reportedly hit with shotgun projectiles, but the owner reportedly decided against filing criminal charges.

Post Miranda, Patton reportedly said he was the owner of Modern Age Tobacco and came home to find multiple people inside his apartment. He said he was attacked by those people, resulting in the gun fight.

When a detective asked for a description of the people inside his apartment, Patton reportedly said “it was a mixed race of people” and then said something about someone dying near the swimming pool on March 13, 2024. Patton reportedly said, “The shotgun saved my life.”

When the detective asked again for a description of the people inside his apartment, Patton reportedly said there was a woman standing behind the detective who had been in his apartment, but the detective wrote, “It appeared the defendant was hallucinating due to nobody standing behind me as I interviewed him.”

A search warrant was executed for Patton’s apartment, and additional charges may be added.

Patton has been charged with three counts of shooting into a dwelling and property damage over $200. He has no criminal convictions but successfully completed a deferred prosecution agreement in 2002 for marijuana possession charges. He was charged with attempted murder in 2007, but a judge later dismissed the charges, ruling that Patton had acted in self-defense after the shooting victim lunged at him with a knife. Judge Luis Bustamante set bail at $310,000 on the new charges.

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.