GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Gainesville Police Department is investigating three shootings that happened within two hours of each other early Wednesday morning.
According to investigators, the first, a possible drive-by, happened around 2 a.m. in the area of Northwest 4th Place and Northwest 8th Street. Nobody was hit in that shooting.
The second was a little less than 90 minutes later, at 3:22 a.m., less than two miles away. This shooting happened on Northeast 11th Street and State Road 24. Police say a woman in her late 20’s was shot in the neck but is expected to survive.
In that shooting, both the victim and suspect or suspects were in vehicles.
A neighbor said there was an altercation at the gas station a couple blocks away that led to the shooting.
The remnants of Fourth of July celebrations still sat outside an apartment complex just feet from where a woman was shot. As one man went to get his coffee from this gas station, he heard what happened last night.
"She said she witnessed the altercation and heard the woman say 'I've got a gun in my car I'll be right back,'" said James Russell, who lives near the second shooting.
Russell said he doesn’t know if the woman who was shot lives in the area, but is thankful she is going to survive. He says even on the a night of fireworks, the sound was obvious.
"I don't know if you are familiar with gunshots, but there is no mistaking a gunshot for fireworks," Russell said.
About 20 minutes later, at 3:45 a.m., another shooting happened a mile and a half away on Southwest 6th Avenue.
Police say a group of people was standing outside a car parked in the area when another car drove by and shot. A man was hit in the torso and leg, his injuries are considered serious at this time.
Investigators are trying to determine if the three incidents are related. They are interviewing witnesses and others in the area, trying to get a good description of any suspects and vehicles that may be involved.
We have a crew on the way to Gainesville and will update this story with new information as it becomes available.