Pair arrested following drive-by shooting at Sweetwater Square Apartments; one subject escaped

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Robert Lavelle Green, Jr., 18, and James Leon Johnson, II, 18, were arrested yesterday after a drive-by shooting at Sweetwater Square Apartments; a third subject was reportedly involved but was not located. Green was charged with resisting an officer without violence, and Johnson was charged with grand theft of a firearm, grand theft of a vehicle, fleeing, and resisting an officer without violence.

At about 1:06 p.m. on Wednesday, Gainesville Police Department officers responded to calls from the area of 3501 NE 15th Street that several shots had been fired from a white Chevrolet Avalanche. 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 400 block of NE 25th Street.

Officers formed a perimeter in the area and canvassed apartments at Lake Terrace Apartments on NE 26th Street; several subjects were reportedly seen fleeing from the vehicle, and officers ran after them.

Johnson was reportedly apprehended in the 200 block of SE 26th Street, and a firearm was located under him when officers placed him in handcuffs. The keys to the Avalanche were reportedly found during a search incident to arrest. The firearm had been reported stolen in Clay County in 2022.

Post Miranda, Johnson reportedly declined to answer any questions.

Green was reportedly found hiding in the covered porch area of a building in the 100 block of SE 26th Terrace; he was reportedly sweating, out of breath, and breathing hard. Green allegedly walked away from officers, ignoring commands to stop, until an officer stepped into his path. Green has been charged with resisting an officer without violence.

Post Miranda, Green reportedly declined to answer any questions.

Johnson has a juvenile conviction; Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $107,000, with a requirement that he be fitted with a GPS monitor before release.

Green has juvenile convictions spanning 2018 to 2023. Judge Miller-Jones set bail at $2,000, with a requirement that he be fitted with a GPS monitor before release.

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. 

  • 1:06 P.M., as in early afternoon. Did school get out early?
    Take a look city leaders, want to know where to find the majority of gun violence? It’s looking right at you.
    Stop trying to deny it.

      • @ Guest. They “was 18 why would they be in school?” So they could speak correct English as in they WERE 18 not they was.

      • They still be learning to read and write? Slow learners? Adult supervision needed? High school athletics? Better than jail?
        Pick one.

    • Both have long Juvenile records. I doubt they went to school much, and if they did they probably just acted out and were disruptive to the class.

  • Isn’t this the third shooting in the last month at Sweetwater? A woman was shot in the stomach a few weeks ago. Then a day or two later someone fired off a weapon at a number of buildings but didn’t hit anyone. Now this. This does not include the woman who was shot in the leg by someone on a bike who wanted her dog that was near there.

  • I got nothing. I’m kinda over getting all worked up about the gun violence.
    The trend here, based upon my observations on the numerous gun violence articles,
    is that they never shoot at people who shoot back. But it will happen eventually.
    Somebody is gonna shoot back.
    And then GPD and or ASO will have one hell of an investigation to solve, tv 20 news will be all over it, and the so called “Community 10 Step Plan” we be added to that article in an attempt to support it.
    On and on it goes….

  • So much for Hillary’s “Takes a Village” fairy tale novel. Has that been removed from libraries, yet? It’s ridiculous to think the jungle can raise kids better than normal families. If you can find those in “the village”, that is 🤡👹🍦🍦🍦D

  • You cannot have a Life of Crime if you do not start early.
    These children need to be taken to the woodshed. If that fails, take them to the train Station.

  • That’s what it’s going to take Law abiding citizens protecting their homes and Families shooting back…it’s gotten to this point!!!!

  • It’s the same story just about every single day. When is something going to be done about this?!

  • Hey last chance Harvey and clueless Commissioners! How’s that “gun violence summit” working out for you and the your constituency?

    Hey Democrat voters! Feeling safe in your community? Do you feel as safe in your homes and neighborhoods as those you’ve elected feel behind their “walls”?

    No need to answer, those are purely rhetorical.

  • I scrolled fast to the end to see what kind of bail was set. $2000! Are you kidding me?

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