Paired Crime! 18-Year-Old and 19-Year-Old Face Charges In Verdant Cove Shooting Case
GAINESVILLE, Florida – The Alachua County Jail was already housing Lagarius Joseph Johnson, 19, and Mykeem Jameel Isaiah Kimbrough, 18, when they were charged with attempted homicide about the Verdant Cove shooting in August 2023.
Several calls regarding gunshots heard near Verdant Cove Apartments (4182 SE 10th Pl.) were received on August 15, 2023, at approximately 7:04 p.m. There were five empty cars struck by bullets from the shooting, although no one was hurt, and 21 expended 9 mm gun casings were discovered next to building 4182.
At around 7:01 p.m., a dark-colored Chevrolet Equinox was seen on security footage driving through the complex and parked close to the building where the shooting took place.
Around seven-three p.m., a tall, thin individual exited from the parking area of the Equinox, made their way to the southwest corner of building 4182, and sprang from around the corner. There were 21 bullet casings discovered there, and the footage is said to depict “many clouds of smoke.”
Two small toddlers were among the folks who began running after leaving the parking lot. It seemed as though the gunman followed a single individual around the parking area. The shooter fled back to the spot where the Equinox was parked when the gunfire ceased, and a little while later, the Equinox was observed driving out of the complex.
The Equinox’s license plate was picked up by cameras, and deputies discovered that the owner was someone connected to Kimbrough, who is well-known to “frequent” Village Green Apartments.
Three people were seen getting out of the Equinox when it was observed on Village Green Apartments’ security footage arriving at 7:14 p.m. Johnson and Kimbrough were named as two of the occupants; the third is said to be unidentified.
When deputies spoke with the individual who appeared to be the shooting target in Verdant Cove, they discovered that he belonged to a group that Johnson and Kimbrough considered to be a “rival” or opposition group. The arrest report states that “there have been numerous documented incidents between these two groups, including shootings.”
The gunshot might be connected to another incident that happened at Majestic Oaks later that same evening. According to reports, Johnson was in the vicinity of Verdant Cove at the time of the shooting, in Village Green shortly after, and close to Majestic Oaks. These locations are all shown on his cell phone records. According to ballistic reports, the same gun is said to have fired the shell casings that were recovered from Majestic Oaks and Verdant Cove.
A search warrant was acquired for Kimbrough’s phone following his arrest in February on unrelated charges. It was said that numerous photos of the two men, showing them both holding firearms, were discovered on the phone.
Johnson is accused of attempting to kill someone in the first degree, shooting a gun in public, having a handgun in his possession after being found guilty of a crime, and shooting a gun into a house or car. He has been convicted as a juvenile for grand theft, car burglary, burglary of an unoccupied residence, and possession of a firearm by a child under 18.
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His conviction for adult violent felony beating a detention officer came with a 270-day jail sentence with no admission of guilt; as part of the plea agreement, another charge of battering a detainee was dismissed. On April 22, he was taken into custody on allegations of having a machine gun and possessing a firearm as a delinquent under the age of twenty-four (a minor who has previously been found guilty of a crime that would constitute a felony for an adult), grand theft of a firearm, possessing over twenty grams of marijuana, possessing marijuana with the intent to sell, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possessing drug equipment, and peacefully resisting an officer. $145,000 was set as bail for the earlier offenses.
Kimbrough faces charges related to first-degree attempted murder. Following his arrest in February, he faced charges of grand theft of a motor vehicle, theft, improper exhibition of a firearm, and property damage in addition to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill. He was convicted as a juvenile offender. $155,000 was the bail amount for the earlier offenses.