Williston teen charged as adult after allegedly threatening woman with gun in Gainesville

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Ivan Auhtrez Hopkins, 17, of Williston, has been charged as an adult after allegedly threatening a woman with a gun and hitting her in the head; because the charges qualify for pre-trial detention and Hopkins was already on juvenile probation, a judge ordered him held without bail until trial.

The victim told the responding Gainesville Police Department officer that she and Hopkins, who was a student at Williston High School, had been family friends for over two years at the time of the incident. She said she was picking up her son’s belongings at about 5:40 p.m. on November 12 when she picked up a duffle bag, believing it belonged to her son.

She said Hopkins approached her aggressively and told her to drop the bag; thinking it was her son’s, she yelled back at Hopkins. She said Hopkins opened the bag to show her multiple firearms inside the bag, including rifles and handguns.

The victim said the argument moved to the parking lot, where Hopkins allegedly pulled a black pistol from his waistband and started waving it around; she said she was in fear for her life and tried to take the gun from Hopkins. During the struggle over the gun, Hopkins allegedly hit her in the head with his head, leaving a visible mark and swelling. She said he also grabbed her hand, leaving a small scratch.

She said after they moved away from each other, Hopkins pointed the gun at her and “made multiple generalized threats toward her.” She again said she was in fear for her life, but Hopkins left the area in a white Nissan sedan.

The victim was reportedly unable to provide the apartment or building number where the incident occurred, and the officer was unable to locate any witnesses.

Hopkins was arrested on the morning of November 13 in downtown Gainesville and was charged as an adult on December 4.

Hopkins has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, simple battery, and possession of a firearm by an adjudicated delinquent. He has juvenile convictions between 2019 and 2024, including two convictions in 2020 for offenses that would be felonies for an adult; he was on juvenile probation at the time of his arrest and had violated his probation. He also has multiple juvenile cases pending in Levy County, according to court documents.

On December 13, Judge David Kreider granted a motion from the State Attorney’s office to hold Hopkins without bail until trial.

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.