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Florida man arrested after allegedly firing celebratory gunshots after Gators basketball win

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Published  April 9, 2025 3:08pm EDT
Winter Park
FOX 35 Orlando

The Brief

    • A Florida man has been arrested after he allegedly fired multiple shots in celebration of the Gators winning the NCAA basketball championship game on Monday.
    • Garrett Atkinson, 30, is facing charges including discharging a firearm from a vehicle and nuisance injuries to health.
    • Records show Atkinson is being held with no bond at the Winter Park Police Department.

WINTER PARK, Fla. - A Florida man has been arrested after he allegedly fired multiple shots in celebration of the Gators winning the NCAA basketball championship game on Monday.

Garrett Atkinson, 30, is facing charges including discharging a firearm from a vehicle and nuisance injuries to health.

Celebratory gunfire leads to arrest

What we know:

At around 11:15 p.m. on Monday, officers said they were conducting a traffic stop at Lee Road and Ellen Drive when gunshots were heard nearby.

Police said they saw a man patting himself down and walking on the sidewalk of Lee Road, crossing Bennett Avenue. They asked the man if he was OK, and he said there was a white truck shooting towards a group of people at the nearby Miller's Ale House. The man told authorities he heard about eight shots, but was unsure what was going on. 

Officers were able to catch up with the truck, which was heading westbound on Lee Road, and they conducted a traffic stop at Interstate 4 and Lee Road. 

Police said Garrett Atkinson, 30, was arrested on Tuesday after he allegedly fired multiple shots in celebration of the Gators winning the NCAA basketball championship. (Credit: Winter Park Police Department)

"I know what you look like, and remember I will come back for you"

What they're saying:

Police said they found Atkinson with a loaded magazine in his left hand and a gun by his feet on the floor, and he did not cooperate with being asked to put his hands up. 

Atkinson told authorities he didn't know anything about the gunshots and that he was having drinks and watching the Gators' basketball game with his friend at the Miller's.

However, Atkinson's friend told officers that Atkinson had "shot out due to (the) happiness of the Gators winning the game." The friend said he did not know Atkinson had the gun, and he had tried to take it away from him afterward. 

After being arrested, police said Atkinson told them "I know what you look like, and remember I will come back for you."

Records show Atkinson is being held with no bond.

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The Source: This story was written based on information gathered from an arrest affidavit supplied by the Winter Park Police Department. 

Winter ParkOrange CountyFloridaCrime and Public SafetyUniversity of Florida Gators Football