Jury finds man not guilty of firing shots outside Fernandina Beach bar

YULEE, Fla. – A man arrested after a Sunday morning fight in the parking lot of a Fernandina Beach bar two years ago was found not guilty Tuesday.

Nassau County deputies called to Locals on Sadler Road on Feb. 10, 2019, in response to a report of shots fired about 2:30 a.m. Deputies were told a bystander was trying to break up a fight between a man and woman when the man drew a gun and opened fire at the bystander, the Sheriff’s Office said at the time.

After an investigation, Garrett Lionel Gagnon was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

After two years of legal motions, the case went to trial on Tuesday -- the first jury trial since in-person trials resumed after the COVID-19 lockdown -- and Gagnon was found not guilty.