Staff report
NEWBERRY, Fla. – David Dwayne Martin, Jr., 19, was arrested yesterday after a man was shot and killed in Newberry.
At approximately 11:45 a.m. on May 25, Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies arrived at the 25700 block of NW 7th Place and discovered a man with a gunshot wound to the chest. He was taken to a hospital but was later pronounced dead.
Deputies at the scene spoke to Martin, who claimed to be the shooter, and detained him.
According to reports, Martin revealed at the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, post-Miranda, that the gun used in the incident was a 9mm Glock 19 Gen5 equipped with a laser/strobe light and an extended 17-round magazine. He admitted that after the shooting, he escaped to “Triangle Park” (120 NW 260th Street) and handed the firearm to another individual before heading back to the crime scene. Martin also confessed that prior to the shooting, he had been inside a vehicle with the firearm hidden in a backpack, and he transferred the gun to his pocket before fatally shooting the victim.
A witness reportedly informed a deputy that a biracial male resembling Martin’s description ran to a grill near the witness’s home and placed something inside. Alachua County Sheriff’s Office personnel reportedly discovered a firearm inside the grill that perfectly matched the description given by Martin.
Martin also reportedly said that after the shooting, he gave the gun to a “friend,” whom he described as a tall Caucasian male with long hair. When deputies asked him to reconcile the differing accounts of his actions after the shooting, he reportedly asked for an attorney.
Based on the evidence available at this time, Martin has been charged with unlawfully carrying a concealed firearm and tampering with evidence. The shooting death is still under investigation.
Martin has no local criminal history. Judge Luis Bustamante set bail at $500,000.
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.
