Ocala man, 20, charged in fatal shooting near downtown Gainesville
A 20-year-old Ocala man has been charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder following a shooting early Sunday morning near downtown Gainesville.
Gainesville police say Ja'zier Antonio shot three people that night, though only one survived.
Police were conducting crowd control in the area of the 900 block of West University Avenue around 2:42 a.m. when they heard multiple gunshots.
The first was found shot in front of the Checkers restaurant at 912 W. University Ave. and later taken to UF Health Shands Hospital where they were pronounced dead. A second surviving victim was found nearby flagging down police, while the third was found dead in front of the Bodytech tattoo and piercing studio.
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Witnesses on the scene told police that an unknown person got inside a vehicle with a firearm. The man, later identified as Myers, initially refused to exit the vehicle. But as police approached, he complied and dropped the gun.
Surveillance video from the area shows Myers walking near one of the victims at about 2:40 a.m. and shooting him at close range in the head, according to his arrest report. It also shows Myers at 2:42 a.m. shooting two other people, GPD said.
A surviving victim who was found flagging down law enforcement later told police that he was ordering food at the Checkers window when he heard two people arguing behind him. He said he turned around and saw the suspect shoot a man in the head. After witnessing the shooting, he attempted to run and was shot. He later identified Myers as the shooter in a photo lineup.
Police showed Myers, who denied being in the area of the shooting, two photos of a man in front of Bodytech and Checkers. Myers confirmed the person was him.
When told the photos were of the person responsible for the murders, Myers again denied his involvement. He said he had no recollection of what happened and that he was possibly drugged.
No bond information is available as of Monday morning.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Ocala man charged with murder near downtown Gainesville
