A 23-year-old lumber store employee was shot and killed inside Imeca Lumber & Hardware shortly after 8 a.m. on Jan. 14, and two Gainesville police officers were wounded minutes later when the suspected gunman opened fire during a traffic stop, Police Chief Nelson Moya said. Officers returned fire, striking the suspect, who later died at a hospital.
Police identified the victim as Eduardo Pardo Rodriguez, 23. The suspect was identified as Justin Dewayne Long, 31. Investigators say the shooting appeared random, with no known connection between Long and the business. The case has moved from an active threat to a homicide inquiry focused on motive, gun tracing and a full timeline of the suspect’s movements before and after the initial gunfire. The two injured officers were treated and released the same day. The episode shut down portions of East University Avenue during the morning rush and prompted a multi-agency response, including crime-scene technicians and traffic investigators.
According to police, 911 calls began at about 8 a.m. from Imeca Lumber & Hardware, a commercial yard east of downtown. Officers arriving within minutes saw a vehicle believed tied to the shooting leaving the area. When they attempted a stop, the driver, later identified as Long, got out and began firing. Two additional officers arrived as rounds were exchanged on a busy corridor near businesses and morning commuters. Long was hit by return fire and transported, where he was pronounced dead. “We are quickly learning there is the appearance of a mental health issue here, and that the victim, sadly, was selected randomly,” Moya said. He added that preliminary checks showed “very little to no connection” between Long and the store or the victim.
Police named the wounded officers as Sgt. Rob Kennedy and Officer Jessie Herringshaw. One was shot in the arm and the other in the leg, officials said. Both were evaluated at a local hospital and released hours later. Detectives recovered a firearm at the scene and collected shell casings from both the roadway and the store interior. The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office assisted with road closures and crowd control while city public works set up barricades. Authorities said the exchange happened in heavy morning traffic but did not result in additional injuries. Inside the store, technicians documented bullet impacts, took photographs and gathered video from interior and exterior cameras. Initial interviews with employees and nearby workers suggested the gunman entered briefly before shots were fired at the counter area. A full ballistic report is pending.
Rodriguez, who worked at the lumber and hardware business, was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. Friends and co-workers described him as soft-spoken and ambitious, with plans to start a family-run business. Imeca’s management closed the store for the day and provided statements to investigators. Public records show Long had a Gainesville address and a prior juvenile record in another Florida county; detectives cautioned that those records might not reflect his adult history. Police said early checks with state health and court systems had not yet produced a documented diagnosis, and they are examining whether recent behavior changes were noticed by acquaintances. Moya said motive remains unknown and that the investigation is focusing on why the store was targeted and what precipitated the street ambush of officers.
The area around East University Avenue has seen heavier police presence during prior traffic and pedestrian safety operations, unrelated to this case. Businesses along the corridor open early to serve contractors and university commuters, increasing foot and vehicle traffic at the hour the shooting began. Gainesville police have trained for rapid response to commercial shootings, deploying patrol officers first and specialized units second. In this incident, patrol officers formed the initial contact team, while detectives and the forensics unit arrived afterward. The chief credited the officers’ response time with limiting further harm, noting that bullets struck asphalt and a nearby sign but missed passing vehicles.
Detectives are processing store and street video, dispatch audio, and shell-casing patterns to establish the precise sequence from the first shots inside the lumber store to the gunfire at the stop. Investigators will submit the recovered weapon for tracing and compare ballistic markings with state databases. Autopsies for the suspect and the victim are underway; final reports could take several weeks. Police plan to release additional documents, including the incident report and body-worn camera footage, once required redactions are complete. No other arrests are expected. A departmental use-of-force review board will examine the officers’ actions under policy, and the State Attorney’s Office will conduct a routine review of the shooting. A public briefing could be scheduled the week of Jan. 26 if lab work returns on time.
Outside the store, crime-scene tape stretched across stacks of lumber and forklifts as morning customers were turned away. A worker from a neighboring business said he heard “three or four loud cracks, then people yelling to get down,” describing a scramble behind pallets. A driver who was stopped at a light on East University Avenue said she saw “officers taking cover behind doors” before additional units converged. By midday, investigators placed yellow markers along the curb and in the parking lane, and a tow truck hauled away the suspect’s vehicle under a tarp. As news of the victim’s death spread, friends laid flowers near the entrance and spoke quietly with employees.
As of Friday, police say the investigation is active but there is no ongoing threat tied to this incident. The two injured officers are recovering at home. Officials expect the next update when preliminary autopsy findings are released or when detectives can provide a more complete account of the suspect’s movements and potential contacts before the shooting.
Author note: Last updated January 23, 2026.