Local law enforcement arrested a woman who fired shots in the Butler Plaza Walmart parking lot Saturday after an hours-long standoff with police, according to Gainesville Police Department.
Approximately five shots were fired Saturday morning, and the woman was believed to have a handgun and rifle. The woman barricaded herself in a trailer for nearly six hours. There were no reported injuries, according to GPD Lt. Lisa Scott.
GPD’s SWAT and Negotiations teams were in communication with the suspect in the hours before her arrest.
GPD dispatched officers to the Butler Plaza Walmart at around 7:50 a.m. after receiving reports of suspicious activity. Gainesville Fire Rescue arrived at the scene first and reported hearing shots being fired, Scott said. The shots were later confirmed to be coming from the caller, who was inside a trailer in the parking lot.
A total of 30 to 40 law enforcement officials from GPD, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and other local agencies responded to the scene and set up a perimeter around the Walmart parking lot and surrounding businesses, causing heavy traffic congestion.
Walmart was also locked down to protect those still inside the building. Some chose to leave, but law enforcement urged them to stay, Scott said.
One of the shoppers still inside Walmart at the time was a woman experiencing labor contractions, she said. She was transported out by medical first responders.
GPD is urging people to avoid the area until further notice, according to a news release, and plans for another update at 3 p.m.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Contact Garrett Shanley and Bailey Diem at gshanley@alligator.org and bdiem@alligator.org. Follow them on X @garrettshanley and @BaileyDiem.
Bailey Diem is the Spring 2025 Metro Editor and a second-year journalism major. She has spent past semesters reporting for the university and metro desks. In her free time, Bailey enjoys playing guitar or getting lost in a book.
Garrett Shanley is a fourth-year journalism major and the Spring 2025 university editor for The Alligator. Outside of the newsroom, you can find him watching Wong Kar-Wai movies and talking to his house plants.
