A Gainesville man was arrested on Wednesday for an armed robbery at Wildside Smoke Shop.
Major Croom, 19, threatened employees at the store with a handgun, according to the arrest report.
Croom was at the counter to purchase six bottles of cannabis for a total of $420. When the cashier asked Croom for his ID, he reportedly pulled out a handgun and demanded the items instead of paying. Croom ran from the scene on foot with the stolen goods.
Because the incident was only a block from UF campus, alerts were sent out to students Wednesday afternoon with Croom’s description and a warning to avoid the area.
After running from the store, video surveillance showed Croom entering his apartment at Ufora apartments, according to the arrest report.
After Croom was arrested at his apartment two hours after the robbery, he told Gainesville Police Department officers he didn’t own a firearm, according to the arrest report. Croom said he found a fake gun on his way to Wildside Smoke Shop and used it to threaten the employees.
According to the arrest report, Croom said he threw the fake gun away at a McDonald’s after running from the smoke shop.
Contact Kaysheri Haffner at khaffner@alligator.org. Follow her on X @kaysheri_h.
Kaysheri is a junior journalism student and the Fall 2025 politics reporter for the enterprise desk at the Alligator. She previously worked as the criminal justice reporter. Off the clock she enjoys creative writing, and can always be found at either the gym or curled up with a good book.
