One suspect arrested in connection with September 1 murder at Gardenia Gardens

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Aziel Dejayn Brown-Gainey, 20, was arrested late last night in connection with a murder at Gardenia Gardens Apartments on September 1.

Gainesville Police Department (GPD) officers responded to Gardenia Gardens, 1731 NE 8th Avenue, at about 10:40 p.m. on September 1, in response to a report that a person had been shot. Officers found a victim with multiple gunshot wounds in the driver’s seat of a white Volkswagen Jetta; the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Detectives reviewed surveillance video from the apartment complex and reportedly saw two people arrive on foot from the southwest, walking toward B building, where the victim was sitting in the parked car. The two people stopped walking and stood behind a dumpster about 40 feet away from the victim for several seconds, then reportedly approached the victim, opening fire as they approached the car. Both people appear to be holding handguns; both reportedly stood on the driver’s side of the car, where the window was down, and shot at the victim. One of them put his left hand on the A pillar of the car before they both fled.

The two people were wearing face masks; one wore a dark-colored long-sleeved jacket with a hood, dark pants, and white shoes. The other wore a dark short-sleeve t-shirt and baggy gray pants; he also had a white cloth wrapped around his left hand and forearm.

GPD Forensics processed the car and located the palm print on the A pillar of the car.

Detectives also learned that a caller to a jail inmate had discussed the murder; the caller reportedly laughed and said, “Had to!” Detectives obtained a warrant for data from the caller’s cell phone, which provided location information.

Detectives obtained surveillance video from locations corresponding to the cell phone data and reportedly observed that the caller was with Brown-Gainey two hours before the murder. The location data also reportedly placed the caller at the scene of the murder at the time it happened. Surveillance video also reportedly shows Brown-Gainey’s car in the area of the murder at the time.

Detectives obtained a warrant for Brown-Gainey’s phone data and reportedly confirmed that the caller and Brown-Gainey were together before, during, and after the murder. Brown-Gainey’s physical appearance also reportedly matches the description of the person who placed his palm on the A pillar of the car. Brown-Gainey has no criminal history, so GPD had no record of his fingerprints or palm prints and obtained a warrant for his prints.

Brown-Gainey was fingerprinted and palm-printed on October 5, and the palm print reportedly matched the palm print on the car.

Brown-Gainey has been charged with first-degree premeditated murder and is being held without bail.

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.