Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Xzavier Taylor Hawkins, aged 20, faces charges of attempted homicide related to an incident that occurred on July 2. Meanwhile, Kelvin Baker, 18, who was initially charged with attempted homicide for the same incident, has had the homicide charge dropped and now faces a charge for grand theft of a firearm.

At approximately 3:30 a.m. on June 27, a witness noticed a vehicle with open doors in the Cedar Grove vicinity and reportedly observed Baker along with another unknown individual lingering nearby. Officers from the Gainesville Police Department found that two vehicles had been broken into, with firearms and holsters taken from each; the firearms stolen were identified as a black Glock 19 and a tan Smith & Wesson M&P Shield.

Later, around 10:45 p.m. on July 2, a male was shot by someone on a porch of a house nearby the site of the car burglaries. Four 9mm shell casings were collected from the porch.

During the shooting investigation, a detective assessed surveillance footage and identified Baker carrying the Smith & Wesson on several occasions starting from the weekend following the vehicle burglary up through the night of the shooting. Another individual could be observed with what seemed to be a black Glock 19.

Three witnesses reported to authorities that on July 2, Baker had a firearm with a color reminiscent of “peanut butter,” and they also witnessed Baker and another male exchanging a black Glock between them.

The shooting victim recounted riding his bike north on NE 24th Street on his way home from work when he heard someone call his nickname from a house next to Baker’s. The victim noticed Baker seated on the neighbor’s porch, calling out to him. As he dismounted and walked his bike towards the porch, while still in the street, he saw Baker raise his arm. At that moment, he heard and felt the impact of a gunshot, causing him to drop his bike and flee south on NE 24th Street while dialing 911.

Baker was arrested and charged with attempted homicide, and he reportedly said he did not have a firearm and had not had a firearm in the house since his brother was arrested.

A search warrant for Baker’s home was obtained, and officers reportedly found a box of ammunition in Baker’s bedroom that matched the shell casings on the neighbor’s property. One live round was reportedly in the box, and one was on the floor; a full box of 9mm ammunition (the same brand as the shell casings) was reportedly found on the front porch of Baker’s home. A small pistol holster was reportedly found in a clothing hamper in Baker’s room, and a second small pistol holster was reportedly found on the porch, along with a small amount of burnt marijuana. The holsters were identified by the theft victim as those that were stolen from his vehicles.

A GPD K-9 team searched for a firearm, and the K-9 alerted to an old pickup truck next to Baker’s home; a 9mm Smith & Wesson pistol was reportedly found under the front of the truck. A juvenile in Baker’s home reportedly said Baker had been outside at the time of the shooting and had to be let in because the door was locked.

Post Miranda at the jail, Baker reportedly denied stealing the firearm but said someone else gave it to him to “hold.” He said he’d heard that the victim was offering a reward for the stolen firearm and wanted to return the firearm for the reward, which, the detective noted, confirmed that he knew the gun was stolen. Baker reportedly said the holster on the porch belonged to the victim, but he said the holster in the laundry basket did not belong to the victim. He reportedly admitted tossing the stolen gun under the vehicle while fleeing from the shooting scene.

Hawkins was arrested on July 9 for allegedly forcing a friend to help him flee the scene of the July 2 shooting and was held without bail, pending a motion from the State Attorney’s office to hold him without bail until trial. However, before the hearing could be held, the new charges of attempted second-degree homicide and possession of a firearm by an adjudicated delinquent were filed.

According to the sworn complaint, Hawkins was hanging out with Baker and a witness at Baker’s residence and on the neighbor’s porch on July 9; in surveillance video, Hawkins can reportedly be seen with an object “consistent with a handgun” in the pocket of his hoodie. In a post-Miranda interview after his July 9 arrest, he reportedly said the object was a “rolled-up beanie.” He reportedly said he was on the porch and heard 12 shots but did not see who shot the victim. He said he ran away on foot.

Immediately after the shooting, the victim reportedly said he’d thought Baker shot him because he saw Baker with a gun, but a few days later, he reportedly told a detective that there were other people on the porch, but he could not see them clearly. He also clarified that he saw a gun in Baker’s waistband but never saw it in Baker’s hand.

Two other witnesses, who left before the shooting, reportedly told the detective that Hawkins had a black handgun, which they believed was a Glock, and he brandished it, making them nervous.

Baker reportedly said that Hawkins asked him if the person on the bike was the victim and became agitated when that was verified. Hawkins allegedly fired “numerous” shots at the victim, and Baker said he tried to stop him. Baker reportedly saw the witness running to his car and saw Hawkins follow and get into the witness’s car. Baker reportedly admitted to having a handgun but denied firing it.

The Glock handgun has not been recovered, but the casings found at the scene “had characteristics consistent with being fired from a Glock.”

Baker is now facing a charge of grand theft of a firearm and is currently being held on $250,000 bail, but the bail amount has not yet been changed to reflect the new charge. He has a juvenile conviction in 2025 but no adult criminal convictions

Hawkins has been charged with attempted second-degree homicide and possession of a firearm by an adjudicated delinquent, along with the previous kidnapping charge. He is also facing a charge of tampering with a witness after allegedly asking someone else to make a post on his Instagram account, telling the witness to “stop lying” in an apparent attempt to intimidate the witness from testifying; Hawkins has not yet been booked on that charge. Hawkins has juvenile convictions spanning 2019 to 2021 and one adult misdemeanor conviction (non-violent). Judge Jonathan Ramsey set bail at $350,000.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.