LAKE CITY, Fla. — A man was detained without incident after police said he discharged a firearm near Alachua Avenue and Baya Drive in Lake City on Tuesday.
Officers from the Lake City Police Department responded to reports of a male subject discharging a firearm at 1:23 p.m., a police news releas states. Upon arrival, they located the suspect, Andrew Vanhyfte, who was wearing red scrubs and matched the description provided by callers.
Witnesses reported that Vanhyfte approached two homeless individuals outside the Vista Lab building, pointed a handgun at them, and discharged the firearm multiple times toward the ground, the news release states.
Officers recovered five spent shell casings in the parking lot, and a black Smith & Wesson .22 Compact handgun was secured from Vanhyfte’s vehicle. The suspect was seen leaving Vista Lab at 187 SW Baya Avenue and entering a gray Nissan Altima, which officers blocked from leaving the scene. Vanhyfte was arrested and transported to the Columbia County Detention Center.
He’s facing charges of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon Without Intent to Kill Improper Exhibition of a Firearm Five counts of Discharging a Firearm in Public.
The incident remains under investigation, with the motive for Vanhyfte’s actions still unclear.
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