Gainesville police say a midday shootout on NE 24th Street on Sunday ended with no injuries but left a Jacksonville man facing a felony gun charge after surveillance footage reportedly caught him holding a firearm just feet from where the shots were fired. Lorenzo Laverne Rose Jr., 22, was found next door to the scene wearing clothes that matched a suspect seen in that video, according to the arrest report.
Officers with the Gainesville Police Department responded at about 11:45 a.m. on November 1 to calls about a drive-by shooting in the 800 block of NE 24th Street, according to the Alachua Chronicle. Witnesses told investigators that a vehicle carrying at least two people fired several shots at a residence, and that the people inside the home came outside and fired back. Some shell casings were recovered at the scene, but nobody was reported hurt.
Video Reportedly Captures Gunfire and a Man Holding a Weapon
Investigators reviewed surveillance video from a property next door to the shooting, which reportedly showed Rose holding a firearm while the sound of a gunshot could be heard on the recording, the outlet reports. Officers then found Rose near that same neighboring property, dressed in clothing matching what the person in the video was wearing. He was arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, per the arrest report cited by the Chronicle.
Court and booking records reviewed by the outlet show Rose has two prior felony convictions, both described as non-violent. His listed home address is in Jacksonville, and he reportedly told Justice Support Services that he had only been in Alachua County for one day before the shooting.
Separate Domestic Battery Complaint Also Pending
Beyond the firearm charge, Rose is also facing a sworn complaint tied to a domestic battery incident reported in Gainesville on October 10, according to the same report. A judge, Joy Danne, set his bail at $50,000 in connection with the firearm case.
Florida law, under state statute, makes it unlawful for certain convicted felons to own or have a firearm in their care, custody, possession, or control. The Alachua Chronicle notes that the charges detailed in its report are drawn from the arrest report and court records and remain only accusations at this stage.
