Police Seek Information on Park Shooting

ALACHUA ‒ Alachua Police Department (APD) officers responded to Northwest 141^st Street (Main Street) and Northwest 158^th Avenue near Maude Lewis Park on Dec. 24, 2023 at 3:48 p.m. with the assistance of the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO).

Officers arrived on the scene and located several spent shell casings in the roadway and on the sidewalk near Maude Lewis Park. No victims or suspects were located at the scene. Several nearby resident interviews and nearby video surveillance determined that a black newer model Ford Escape was the suspect vehicle. It was also discovered that approximately 13 shots were fired by what is believed to be a single shooter.

After further investigation, a license plate for the suspect vehicle was discovered, which revealed that the vehicle was reported by the Gainesville Police Department (GPD) as stolen on Dec. 23. Due to the nature of the crime, APD officers requested GPD to be on the lookout for the vehicle. At approximately 9:40 p.m., the suspect vehicle was located unoccupied in the Pine Ridge neighborhood by GPD.

Maude Lewis Park, located at 15731 N.W. 141^st Street, was the site of an Oct. 31, 2021 shooting that claimed the life of 16-year-old Stoney Shine, Jr. of Gainesville.

The Alachua Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division is actively working the Dec. 24, 2023 case. APD is asking that anyone with any information or videos pertaining to the case contact them at either 386-462-1396, via the APD anonymous tip line at https://loom.ly/7uR9tR4, via the APD phone app, call 352-372-STOP (7867), via Crime Stoppers at https://loom.ly/UY0Cekg, or via the P3Tips phone app.

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