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Posted on 01/16/2026 12:18:19 PM PST by Impala64ssa
The victim and suspect involved in the deadly shootout with Gainesville police on Wednesday were identified by the Gainesville Police Department.
Detectives identified the victim found inside the Imeca Lumber business as Eduardo P. Rodriguez, 23.
The man who police said shot him and also engaged in a deadly shootout with Gainesville officers was identified as Justin D. Long, 31.
Police Chief Nelson Moya said at 7:56 a.m., officers responded to reports of shots fired on E. University Avenue, near Waldo Road.
Nearby officers went to the scene and spotted the identified Long in a red car and tried to stop him, who then got out of the car and started firing on the officers. Additional officers responded and shot the Long, killing him.
“...absolutely assaulted our officers and met them with gunfire in an ambush-style attack,” Moya said. “Our officers, by the grace of God, were able to engage the suspect in a violent exchange of gunfire, resulting in the death of the assailant who passed on scene.”
While conducting their investigation, officers found the body of Rodriguez with gunshot wounds in the Imeca Lumber & Hardware store.
Moya said the Long entered the store after parking behind a nearby KFC, walked over to the lumber yard, shot the victim, and went back to his car in an attempt to flee.
The police chief said they currently don’t know the relationship between Long and Rodriguez, but they do know that he acted with “clear intent.”
The two officers who were shot were transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Moya said. They have since been released.
“I’ve since met with them and their families to express my gratitude for their heroism and their actions today, which resulted, not only in them, in essence, neutralizing somebody who was out to commit murder, but also ensuring that the rest of our public was safe.”
City leaders later addressed the community, emphasizing that it was an isolated incident and that overall crime in Gainesville has been trending down.
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They arrested some Arab guy on the Gulf side of the state the other day who was driving with blue lights on his vehicle trying to pass as a cop.
He claims he was just trying to get to work faster, but it turned out he had foreign warrants out for him as well.
Additional officers responded and shot the Long, killing him.
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This was the proverbial Long shot.
When you say quite a distance from the university, it’s really just a couple of miles away, but maybe 10 minutes driving because of how bad the traffic is there. Stoplights the whole city over.
He should be commended for his initiative!
My youngest son lived nearby i grad school.
Justin Long?
Loved his work in Galaxy Quest and Jeepers Creepers.
I like the joke. A lot.
This is very close to where I grew up. I’m pretty familiar with the area, at least as it used to be. I haven’t lived there since I was in my college years, but the family homestead is nearby. When I go back to visit, it always changes some, as places do, but not terribly much. Still recognizable.
and that overall crime in Gainesville has been trending down.
Did all the football players leave?
I used to rent an apartment close to there for the first two years I was a student at the University of Florida,
Was it a dive or a nice place? They varied so much there. Well, I guess any college town is like that.
This place was nice and the second place I lived was nicer. I drove by after over 30 years and both were dumps.
Well, you know, good help is hard to find nowadays. Hell, even bad help is.
We could never have gotten away with writing like that in Mr. Boyce’s English class.
Yeah, there are parts of Gainesville that badly need revitalization.
This article gives you “the Long” and “the Short” of it.
“Moya said the Long entered the store after parking behind a nearby KFC, ...”
From now on I wish to be known as “the Bob”.
Yes. The east side of the city is bad. The university and the are to the west around the Oaks Mall is nice and safe.
I like the joke. A lot.
*************
Thank you. The zany activities around the country are causing the jokes to write themselves. Wish it wasn’t so.
Fortunately, he didn't last Long.
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