Just before 8 a.m. Wednesday morning, the Gainesville Police Department responded to a 911 call of shots fired outside of East Gainesville store Imeca Lumber and Hardware, Police Chief Nelson Moya said in a Facebook livestream.
The unnamed suspect tried to leave the scene in a red car, which officers followed. The suspect then got out of the car and shot at the officers in an “ambush-style attack,” Moya said.
GPD exchanged gunfire with the suspect, and he was killed.
Two police officers were shot in the exchange, Moya said. They were taken to UF Health Shands Hospital and are expected to make full recoveries.
GPD discovered a dead body inside of a nearby business with gunshot wounds. Police now believe, confidently, that the victim was shot by the same suspect who exchanged gunfire with the police, Moya said.
Moya believes the suspect walked into the business and shot the victim, then tried to leave the scene in his car parked nearby, where he was met by GPD officers, he said.
Contact Alexa Ryan at aryan@alligator.org. Follow her on X @AlexaRyan_.
Alexa is a second-year journalism and international studies student and The Alligator's Spring 2026 Enterprise Politics Reporter. She previously served as the Fall 2025 Criminal Justice Reporter. In her free time, she enjoys running, traveling and going on random side quests.
