The suspect in a fatal shooting inside Imeca Lumber & Hardware in east Gainesville was killed and two police officers were injured on the morning of Jan. 14, according to the Gainesville Police Department.
GPD Public Information Officer Art Forgey said reports of a man with a gun outside the hardware store at 1201 E. University Ave. came in just before 8 a.m.
Forgey said the suspect attempted to flee in a vehicle but was stopped by an officer in the area. The suspect then got out of the vehicle and shot the officer.
Two other officers immediately responded, and one of them was also shot. The other officer then shot and killed the suspect. Both of the officers who were shot suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Gainesville Police Chief Nelson Moya, who visited both officers at UF Health Shands hospital, said he was “grateful” that the officers’ injuries were not more severe.
“I will tell you anytime that our staff or police officers are injured, it’s always difficult for me,” Moya said. “In this case, when I arrived on scene, very shortly thereafter, I could see they were both wounded. One in the lower extremity and one in the upper extremity.”
According to GPD, both officers were released from the hospital the afternoon of Jan. 14.
Moya said GPD believes that the suspect who was killed by officers was the same person who killed the victim in the hardware store at 1201 E. University Ave.
Moya said the suspect and victim have been identified, but that their names are not being released at this time. He called the suspect’s intent “clear.”
An unidentified woman at the scene wept for over 30 minutes as officers tried to comfort her, and she appeared to faint moments later. She was later taken from the scene in an ambulance.
Unverified video circulating online appears to show the suspect lying in the middle of East University Avenue near the KFC at 1231 E. University Ave. First responders are seen nearby, including one performing CPR on the suspect.
The suspect’s vehicle had a broken right front window, and its right front tire appeared flat.
Tina Days, who witnessed the incident, said she was taking her children to school when the shooting occurred.
“I was just doing what a mom do, taking my kids to school. This was not on my mind at all,” she said. “It’s just scary because life can change in an instant.”
Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward, who said he grew up close to the scene, offered his condolences to everyone affected, including those who live in the surrounding neighborhoods who may now feel uneasy.
“It’s traumatic to everyone who has experienced it,” said Ward, who also visited the injured officers.
Interim City Manager Andrew Persons and City Commissioner Desmon Duncan-Walker also were at the scene.
Standing in prayer, Duncan-Walker expressed her condolences to the families of the victims and the suspect. As the incident occurred in her district, she wanted to make it clear to residents that not only are they safe, but that the city will continue to implement all available safety resources.
“As we continue in the spirit of recognizing that gun violence is a public health issue that those resources will continue,” Duncan-Walker said. “It is my understanding that we have trauma response teams.”
Duncan-Walker said members of the community need to “throw our arms around each other” and need to respond.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Suspect dead, two GPD officers injured following east Gainesville shooting
Reporting by Elliot Tritto, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
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