In a troubling incident in Gainesville, Florida, 29-year-old Al-Jareau Joseph Banks found himself in police custody, facing charges of attempted homicide after allegedly shooting his roommate’s hand.
The events unfolded on the evening of June 11 when Gainesville Police Department officers responded to an emergency call reporting a shooting. The victim, who sustained a gunshot wound to his hand, was promptly taken to a nearby hospital by emergency medical services.
Banks and the victim shared a four-bedroom apartment but had only known each other for a few months. According to the victim’s account, tensions flared when he returned home around 4 p.m. with his girlfriend. Upon arrival, what was meant to be a simple greeting with Banks quickly escalated into a heated argument over missing food items.
In a strange twist, the two men initially agreed to settle their dispute with a fight outside, but the confrontation never materialized, and they retreated back indoors. The altercation continued inside the apartment, with the victim stating that he was in the dining room, his girlfriend in the living room, and Banks positioned in the kitchen. The argument persisted, and as the victim reached for his keys, Banks allegedly fired a shot, striking the victim’s hand.
Following the shooting, the victim reportedly sought refuge in his bedroom, while Banks fled the scene through the front door. The incident highlights the volatile nature of conflicts that can arise in shared living situations and underscores the dire consequences that can ensue when tempers flare.
Post Miranda, Banks reportedly said that his canned Spam, macaroni, and other food items were missing, and when he confronted the victim, the victim unlocked a cabinet and showed him the food inside. He said they continued the argument, and the victim challenged him to go outside and fight; he said he went outside, but the victim never followed him. When he went back inside to the kitchen, the victim changed into shorts and entered the dining room area.
Banks reportedly said at first that he saw the victim pull a shiny silver object from his waistband, which he believed to be a knife, but he later changed his story and said he saw the victim pull out a silver firearm with ridges on the slide; he said the victim charged the firearm and held it at his side. He said he feared for his life, fired one shot, and tried to fire a second shot, but his gun jammed. He said he fled to a neighboring apartment and waited for officers to arrive.
The officer reported that at the time of his arrest, Banks had a handgun in a holster.
Inside the apartment, blood spatter reportedly led to the victim’s bedroom. The victim gave consent for a search of his bedroom, and officers reportedly found a black AR-15-style BB gun and a black-and-clear plastic BB gun with an orange barrel. Neither gun matched the description provided by Banks, and Banks reportedly said he had never seen the victim carry a knife or gun in the apartment. He said the victim had once bragged about firearms but had never produced one.
One roommate reportedly said he was in his bedroom and heard the argument before a period of silence, followed by a gunshot.
The victim’s girlfriend reportedly said she did not see what happened, but she heard the gunshot. She said she had never seen the victim carry a gun.
The officer wrote that probable cause existed to charge Banks with attempted homicide because there was no evidence that the victim had a gun and Banks admitted that he had tried to fire a second shot.
Banks has been charged with attempted first-degree homicide. He has no criminal convictions. Judge Susan Miller-Jones 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.Â