A Gainesville man was arrested Saturday night on suspicion of his gun discharging and striking a victim in his apartment’s parking lot.
Henry Pope, 63, faces charges of attempted murder after police found him hiding in a bush one block from the shooting, according to his arrest report.
In an interview with Gainesville Police Department officers, Pope said that he was playing checkers with another person before the shooting. The victim, who was intoxicated, was leaning on Pope’s car, Pope said.
After he repeatedly warned the victim not to lean on his vehicle, Pope said he went back into his apartment to grab a fanny pack containing a firearm. According to the arrest report, he told the victim he had “something in here if you don’t go.”
He tried to return to his apartment when he saw the victim leaning on his car again, Pope said. He then pulled out the handgun and pointed it at the victim, according to the arrest report.
The firearm then discharged. Pope told officers he did not know if the victim bumped his hand or if he jerked it, but that his finger was not in the trigger. The arrest report stated that he shot the victim.
Surveillance footage allegedly showed Pope putting the firearm back into the fanny pack before attempting to hand it to a witness, who refused to take it.
He placed the fanny pack along the north side of the building, Pope said. Law enforcement later found a fanny pack containing a firearm at the same location Pope described, according to the arrest report.
The victim was transported to UF Health Shands Hospital and taken into surgery.
Pope was arrested on a felony charge and taken to the Alachua County Jail. His next hearing is not yet scheduled as of Sunday evening.
Contact Jacob Sedesse at jsedesse@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @JACOBSEDESSE.
Jacob Sedesse is a UF Media Production, Management and Technology senior and general assignment reporter for the metro desk. You may recognize his work from WUFT, where he anchored Morning Edition on WUFT-FM among other programs.
