Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Johntavious Reshard Peterson, 16, has been charged as an adult with firing a gun into a dwelling during a suspected gang-related shooting at The Grove at Sweetwater Preserve on March 16; he was also charged as an adult with three gun offenses.

March 16 shooting at The Grove

At about 8 p.m. on March 16, Gainesville Police Department (GPD) officers responded to The Grove at Sweetwater Preserve (125 SE 19th Place) after receiving calls about shots fired. Officers reportedly found about 22 shell casings from a rifle (.223/.556) and 9mm pistol in front of a building and confirmed that bullets had hit at least three apartments and two vehicles. Officers reported that the apartments “were occupied with adults and young children who narrowly avoided being struck by the bullets,” but nobody was injured in the shooting.

Video surveillance showed a white sedan driving into the area just before the shooting and then fleeing at a high rate of speed immediately after the shooting.

Laron Detron Murphy, 18, and Jordan Tyreek Welch, 19, were previously arrested on similar charges related to the same shooting, along with Malachi Ahmad Rosario, 18.

Investigation into “The South” gang

A GPD Detective had been investigating Murphy and “The South” gang for firearm-related crimes and reportedly found “numerous” photos and videos of Murphy’s friends, including Rosario and Peterson, holding a shotgun with a sawed-off barrel while visiting Murphy’s home in Lincoln Estates during April. A search warrant was obtained for the home and was served on April 25; the search reportedly produced the same shotgun, and the detective confirmed that its barrel was shorter than the legal length. The search also reportedly produced a Premier Firearms PF-15 AR pistol, and preliminary results from test firing the pistol correlated to the .223/.556 shell casings found on March 16.

Peterson’s arrest on unrelated charges

On May 29, a traffic stop was conducted on a vehicle, and Peterson was reportedly the front seat passenger; the arresting officer reported that a Glock pistol was found under Peterson’s seat, and Peterson was arrested as a juvenile for unlawfully concealing a firearm; he was also charged with possession of a short-barreled shotgun, based on the photos from his Instagram account.

Peterson’s post-Miranda statements were redacted from the report provided to Alachua Chronicle, but it says he made two statements admitting to the offenses.

The arresting officer noted that Peterson had bragged on social media about having committed a shooting in Gainesville, which was under investigation at the time of his arrest; the officer noted that Peterson’s posts confirmed a “beef” between “The South” and the “Bricks” (Sugar Hill) gang members.

Peterson was charged in the March 16 shooting on June 12; that report is also heavily redacted, but it appears that his involvement was confirmed by his own post-Miranda statements, post-Miranda statements by another participant in the shooting, and a witness.

Peterson has now been charged as an adult with firing a missile into a dwelling, possession of a short-barreled shotgun, unlawfully concealing a firearm, and possession of a firearm by a person under 18. He has no criminal history and is listed as a 10th-grader. Judge Adam Lee set bail at $250,000.

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.