Gainesville Woman, 36, Held Gun to Victim's Mouth in Front of Kids, Deputies Say

A 36-year-old woman is facing felony charges after Alachua County deputies say she punched a victim in the face during an argument on West Newberry Road, then pulled a handgun from her purse and pressed it against the victim's mouth while threatening to shoot them — all in front of nearby children. Amber Clark was arrested last Saturday following the altercation, which unfolded in the 6300 block of the busy western Gainesville corridor.

According to WCJB, the victim suffered visible injuries from the punch and managed to escape the attack before calling 911. Deputy J. Gonzalez responded to the aggravated battery call during the late afternoon of August 8, and the Alachua County Sheriff's Office later detailed that Clark allegedly pulled the handgun during the confrontation and placed it directly against the victim's mouth while threatening to shoot them, according to the sheriff's office. Deputies subsequently located the gun used in the incident.

Clark was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, per the sheriff's office. Investigators also confirmed through law enforcement queries that Clark had a prior battery charge on her record out of Pennsylvania before this arrest, according to the sheriff's office.

What Florida Law Says About the Charges

Under Florida Statute § 784.045, aggravated battery committed with a deadly weapon is a second-degree felony that carries up to 15 years in state prison, 15 years of probation and as much as $10,000 in fines. The related charge, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, is classified as a third-degree felony under Florida Statute § 784.021, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Florida's mandatory minimum sentencing law, known as the 10-20-Life statute under Florida Statute § 775.087, adds another layer of exposure: it requires a mandatory minimum of three to 10 years in prison for anyone who possesses or brandishes a firearm during a violent felony such as aggravated assault or battery. That means if prosecutors prove Clark brandished the weapon as alleged, a judge would have little discretion to avoid prison time on conviction. As with any pending case, the allegations against Clark remain unproven until adjudicated in court.

Local Resources and Crisis Response

The Alachua County Sheriff's Office operates a dedicated Victim Services Center that offers crisis intervention, court accompaniment, case status updates and emergency support to victims of domestic violence and aggravated assault, according to the University of Florida. The agency also partners with Meridian Behavioral Healthcare on Co-Responder teams that pair crisis-trained deputies with master's-level mental health clinicians to respond to emotionally charged domestic conflicts and other community mental health crises.

Those resources sit against a backdrop of countywide violence statistics. Florida Department of Law Enforcement data analyzed by FLHealthCHARTS shows Alachua County recorded a domestic violence offense rate of 270.1 per 100,000 residents in 2024, slightly below the statewide rate of 308.5. The county's overall violent crime rate that year, 205.1 per 100,000, landed in the fourth quartile statewide and well above Florida's overall rate of 145.7 per 100,000, per the same state health data.

Part of a Pattern of Local Firearm Cases

This is not the first Alachua-area case Hoodline has covered involving threats to shoot someone during a heated confrontation. In May, an off-duty deputy was fired and arrested on aggravated assault charges after threatening to shoot people during a late-night disturbance at a bar. In July, Hoodline also reported on a Gainesville man taken into custody after an aggravated assault incident involving firearm charges that ended in a manhunt near a Dollar General.

Open questions remain in Clark's case, including her current bond status at the Alachua County Jail, whether the State Attorney's Office will add child endangerment or domestic violence enhancements to the charging documents, and the exact relationship between Clark and the victim. None of those details have yet been made public.