Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Justin Delano Gainey, 30, was arrested yesterday afternoon and charged with two counts of aggravated assault after allegedly shooting at a passing car.

A Gainesville Police Department officer responded to a call about a shot fired in the 1800 block of NE 8th Avenue at about 1:46 p.m. yesterday. The victims told the officer that they were driving southbound on NE 8th Avenue when they saw Gainey, who was a passenger in another car; they said Gainey got out of the passenger seat and pointed a gun at them, then fired one shot. One victim reportedly said that Gainey told him about a month ago that he had “something for him” the next time he saw him.

The responding officer noted that the call came in at 1:46 p.m., and surveillance video shows Gainey returning to his nearby residence at 1:48 p.m.

Post Miranda, Gainey reportedly said one of the victims has been harassing him for months, but he denied seeing either victim that day.

Read Related Also: Georgia Judge Says Donald Trump’s Trial Will Be Televised

Witnesses in the area reported hearing one gunshot but could not say who shot the gun.

Gainey’s girlfriend reportedly told officers that she had taken Gainey to his orientation at a new job earlier in the day, and when he was done with the orientation, they went to Green Apple liquor store and got home at about 1:30 p.m. The officer noted that the video surveillance showed them arriving home 18 minutes after the time she gave.

Officers reported that they did not find a firearm or any shell casings.

Gainey has two misdemeanor convictions (one violent) and a pending sworn complaint with battery and criminal mischief charges, filed by the same victims in yesterday’s incident. Since his last conviction, he has been charged with domestic battery or stalking in four incidents; all were dropped except for a 2022 case in which he was acquitted of domestic battery. Judge Thomas Jaworski set bail at $100,000.

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.