Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Naya Janea Irving, 19, was arrested yesterday after allegedly firing into the air during a large fight at Eastwood Meadows; she was also charged with possession of an altered firearm and child abuse for allegedly punching and dragging a juvenile victim.

At about 3:24 p.m. on Wednesday, a large group of adults and juveniles gathered at Eastwood Meadows (925 SE 43rd Street), and one of the juveniles was suddenly attacked, causing a large fight to break out. Irving allegedly pulled out a handgun, aimed it in the air, and fired a single round to scare people away and disperse the crowd.

Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies reportedly stopped a vehicle leaving the area and detained Irving. The registered owner of the vehicle reportedly gave consent for a search, and the search reportedly produced a Ruger LCP .380 handgun in a child’s backpack; the serial number of the gun was reportedly scratched off.

Post Miranda, Irving reportedly admitted that she pulled out a gun during the fight and fired a single round in the air to disperse the crowd; she also said she placed the gun in a child’s backpack in the vehicle to hide it.

The arresting deputy noted that Eastside High School is within 1,000 feet of the incident, and there were “dozens of bystanders” in the area, causing “a significant risk to life, safety, and property of innocent bystanders in the area.”

Irving also allegedly punched a juvenile victim several times while the victim lay on the ground, trying to cover her face. Irving allegedly dragged the victim across the sidewalk by pulling her braids, and the victim reportedly had a bruise on her face and lost one of the braids. A witness reportedly produced a video of that incident.

Post Miranda, Irving reportedly admitted that she had fought with a female with braids.

Irving has been charged with reckless discharge of a firearm, child abuse without great bodily harm, improper exhibition of a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school, and possession of a firearm with an altered serial number.

Irving has a juvenile criminal history but no local adult criminal convictions. She was arrested in February 2023 and charged with battery during burglary, but the charges were later dropped. Judge Kristine Van Vorst set bail on the new charges at $350,000.

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.