Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Daniel Julio Dominguez, 32, was sentenced today to three years in state prison, followed by 10 years of probation. Prosecutors had requested a sentence of 15 years in prison.

Dominguez was arrested in October 2023 after posting an Instagram video in which he said he wanted to shoot up a middle school on a weekend so police would kill him. Statements in the video reportedly included, “I have decided to take up arms and attack the state. I intend to target a middle school, particularly the middle school I went to” and “I will be going on a Saturday or a Sunday when no children are there, with the intention of getting off as many NATO .556 rounds from my AR-15 at the building.” 

Evidence was later presented by the prosecution that Dominguez attended Kanapaha Middle School.

On March 6, Dominguez was convicted by a jury of making a threat to commit a mass shooting and then mistakenly released on $5,000 bond by Judge Peter Sieg to await sentencing. Dominguez was re-arrested on March 8.

Today, Assistant State Attorney Britanee Prince led the prosecution team in the sentencing hearing, and over four hours of testimony were heard, with 30 character witnesses testifying on behalf of Dominguez. Prosecutors, however, reiterated their request for a sentence of 15 years.

Judge Sieg, who presided over the sentencing hearing, noted that during the entire four hours of testimony, nobody except the prosecutors considered the victims in the case. Judge Sieg stated that the victims were those students at Kanapaha Middle School, Wiles Elementary School, and any other child who was able to view the disturbing video authored by Dominguez, and he said he hoped the sentence would deter others.

Judge Sieg sentenced Dominguez to three years in the Florida Department of Corrections, followed by 10 years of felony probation. Dominguez is not to possess any firearms or have any contact with any schools in Alachua County.