GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Police arrested 31-year-old Mykell Torrence Hicks on Sunday and charged him with firing a gun in a public place after he allegedly shot 17 rounds in the parking lot of the Phoenix Apartments.
Around 4:20 p.m. on January 3, Gainesville Police Department officers responded to several reports of shots fired at 3200 SW 26th Way. When officers arrived, witnesses said they saw several people run into a nearby apartment after hearing gunfire. Five people later exited the apartment, including Hicks.
After being read his Miranda rights, Hicks reportedly told officers that he saw an unknown person aiming a gun at him as he stepped outside his apartment. He said he quickly hid behind a vehicle and pulled his pistol from his waistband. Hicks stated that he heard multiple shots but was unsure whether they were fired in his direction. He then stood up and saw the unknown person shooting toward a group of people north of the apartment complex, prompting him to fire about 17 rounds in that direction.
Hicks reportedly said that after firing the shots, he ran back into the apartment and placed the gun on the counter. He said he did not know whether anyone was hit but believed one round struck the window of a black Cadillac.
An officer noted that Hicks fired multiple rounds “recklessly” inside an apartment complex where several residents and citizens were present.
Officers later found multiple shell casings in the parking lot near the area where Hicks said he fired the shots.
Police obtained a search warrant for the apartment, which reportedly led to the discovery of about 491.3 grams of marijuana in Hicks’s bedroom, along with resealable baggies and a scale. Officers said the amount was “indicative of someone who sells narcotics.”
Hicks faces charges of firing a weapon in public and possession of marijuana with intent to sell. He has no local criminal convictions, and Judge Phillip Pena set his bail at $175,000.
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