BY JENNIFER CABRERA
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Gainesville Police Chief Nelson Moya used a news conference Tuesday morning to address a recent rise in gun violence, urging adults to take a more active role in understanding what teenagers are doing—including monitoring their social media activity.
Moya presented data showing that overall gun-violence measures declined between 2023 and 2025. However, gunshot injuries and homicides have increased in 2026. He also pointed to a rise in the share of verified shots-fired incidents that end with someone being struck by gunfire. The trend, he said, reflects “poor decision-making by youth, but also the accessibility to weapons.”
Five homicides in the 1000 block of West University Avenue over three years
Moya discussed the Nov. 1 double homicide in Midtown, explaining that officers were already nearby because the 1000 block of West University Avenue is considered “an area of high concern for us.” The roughly 200-yard corridor has recorded five homicide-related deaths since Moya joined the Gainesville Police Department as assistant chief in June 2023.
“We are present in that very same corridor every day, particularly during the weekends, when the crowds manifest themselves in large numbers—our staff is mandated to be there,” Moya said.
“Absolute cold blood”
Moya said the Nov. 1 killings were captured on video. Flashing lights from a parked police vehicle can be seen in the background, he said, underscoring that officers were already monitoring the location because it had become a persistent hot spot.
The officers were in full uniform, Moya said, but they could not stop and search everyone legally using a public street. “Despite us being there, two people… were gunned down in absolute cold blood,” he said. Because officers were already on scene, the suspect was taken into custody “within seconds.”
About two hours later, Moya said, a retaliatory shooting occurred in another neighborhood police were closely watching. More than 30 rounds were fired from weapons of different calibers, but “by the grace of God, not a single soul was injured,” he said.
Juvenile arrested after third shooting
Police then responded to a third shooting nearby, which Moya also described as retaliatory. Officers arrested a juvenile who, he said, was “sadly, as is often the case, a convicted felon in possession of yet another firearm.” He later clarified that officers were already in the area when the shooting happened.
Moya also revisited a drive-by shooting from roughly a month earlier in one of Gainesville’s established neighborhoods. Residents were forced to take cover inside their homes as bullets were fired toward two houses, injuring a young man. Investigators later found at least five firearms in one residence, all readily accessible rather than secured or disassembled.
An exchange of gunfire followed, Moya said, and another act of violence occurred a week or two later. Although the second incident appeared unrelated to the original shooting, officers seized another firearm and made another arrest.
Shootings result from “beefs” between “factions”
Moya said investigators are working to identify people on the periphery of ongoing disputes. The department has found factions operating in some Gainesville neighborhoods, with many shootings tied to disagreements or “beefs” that may appear minor from the outside but continue to escalate.
Addressing how the community should respond, Moya called on residents and local partners to take action. He credited the department’s Gun Violence Units and the Impact GNV initiative as vital tools, while also highlighting the Gainesville Police Athletic League, school resource officers and other efforts taking place behind the scenes.
“We need close oversight over our youth… Be in the business of what they’re doing”
“Here’s a message,” Moya said. “We need close oversight over our youth… Stay connected and double down on that effort.” He urged parents, guardians and others responsible for young people to know what they are doing, who they are spending time with and whom they are communicating with.
“If we find that our young people are posting pictures of themselves with firearms, let’s presume that they’re not toys.”
Moya specifically encouraged parents and guardians to monitor teenagers’ social media accounts. “The rights of privacy that we give our youth are rights that have to be earned,” he said. “If we find that our young people are posting pictures of themselves with firearms, let’s presume that they’re not toys. Let’s alert us.”
The police department also monitors social media, Moya said, although investigators do not find everything. While he often says responsibility “starts in the home and ends in the home,” he acknowledged that some families need outside support.
“We don’t have time for meetings. Everybody needs to get to work.”
Moya closed by calling for a coordinated response. “Everybody needs to come to the table, and I don’t mean a table, because we don’t have time for meetings. Everybody needs to get to work,” he said.
When people ask what the Gainesville Police Department is doing about gun violence, Moya said his response is: “Here’s what us guys are doing. What’s everybody else doing?”
“We’re confident [the latest shootings are] gang-related”
Answering a question about gang involvement, Moya said some shootings have been linked to gangs, although confirming those connections can take extensive investigative work. Police must determine which faction or gang is involved, and several cases remain under investigation. Still, Moya said, “the latest of shootings, we’re confident they’re gang-related.”
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