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By Staff
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Authorities have apprehended 28-year-old John Lee Willis Jr. in connection with a shooting incident at Majestic Oaks in October 2025.
On the evening of October 28, 2025, at approximately 9:16 p.m., Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to the Majestic Oaks Apartment Complex located at 5800 SW 20th Avenue. Multiple emergency calls reported an armed altercation and a potential car crash. Notably, deputies had been called to the same location just two hours prior for a similar armed disturbance involving the same individuals.
Upon arrival, deputies encountered a sizable gathering in front of one of the buildings and observed significant damage caused by a car that had plowed into the structure. Shortly thereafter, a nearby hospital contacted authorities to report a man who had arrived with a gunshot wound.
The wounded individual recounted that the shooting occurred at Majestic Oaks after he, along with two others, drove to the complex. The intent was for one of his companions to confront a woman about a past incident. According to the victim, a verbal argument escalated into physical violence when Willis became involved. Although Willis and another occupant of the victim’s vehicle engaged in a physical altercation, no injuries were initially reported, leading the victim and his associate to retreat towards their car.
The victim said that was when Willis came toward him, swinging his fist, and the victim tried to protect himself by grabbing Willis; he said they fought for about a minute, and then he got in his vehicle, saw Willis standing in front of him with a gun, and drove toward him. He said the vehicle hit Willis and the building, and he didn’t realize he had been shot until a friend saw blood on him.
The deputy reported that surveillance video and cell phone video from others at the scene corroborated the victim’s story; the deputy added that when the victim and his companion were walking back toward their vehicle, Willis can be seen reaching into his hoodie pocket, pulling out something black, and then swinging the black item at the victim’s head. The victim grabs Willis, a gunshot can be heard on the video, and a gun can be seen falling to the ground. The three men fight for about a minute and the victim and his companion get into the vehicle, and then Willis can be seen picking up the gun from the ground as the vehicle drives toward Willis.
One spent shell was found near the victim’s vehicle, and a witness eventually turned in a 9mm handgun to deputies at the scene.
The deputy noted that when Willis shot the victim, the victim was not doing anything criminal that would support a self-defense claim by Willis. Willis is also a convicted felon and cannot lawfully possess a firearm.
Willis has been charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He has juvenile convictions between 2009 and 2015 and two adult felony convictions; he has served one five-year state prison sentence and was released in 2023. Judge Meshon Rawls ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s office to hold him without bail until trial; if the judge denies the motion, bail will be set at that hearing.
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.