Florida officers wounded in ambush while stopping suspect in fatal shooting, police chief says

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Two police officers were shot Wednesday while responding to shots fired at a business in the city that is home to the University of Florida, but they didn't have life-threatening injuries, officials said.

The two responding officers were ambushed as the suspect was trying to leave a Gainesville, Florida business district, busy with rush-hour traffic, where he had just fatally shot someone at a nearby lumber yard, Gainesville Police Chief Nelson Moya said at a news conference.

The officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect, killing him. One officer was wounded in the arm, and the other was wounded in the leg. They were being treated at a nearby hospital and expected to fully recover, the police chief said.

“Their heroism and actions resulted not only in neutralizing someone who was out to commit murder but to ensure that the rest of our public was safe,” Moya said. “The community is not in danger at this time because of anything related to this incident.”

Neither the suspect nor the homicide victim were immediately identified by authorities. While there was “clear intent” by the suspect to harm the homicide victim, detectives are still investigating a motive for the fatal shooting at the lumber yard, according to the police chief.