Clay County Jury Finds Adams Guilty of Aggravated Assault with Gun

State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that a Clay County jury found Jason Adams guilty of Use of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony; Improper Exhibition of a Firearm; Aggravated Assault; and Improper Exhibition of a Firearm. With the verdict, Adams faces up to 35 years in Florida State Prison. The Honorable Steven Whittington will sentence Adams at a later date.

On Jan. 28, 2024, officers with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of shots fired at a home on Longleaf Ranch Circle. A witness told officers he looked out of his window and saw his neighbor — Adams — walk over to a pond in his backyard. The witness saw Adams shoot at man standing by the pond, point the gun at his girlfriend, and force her to walk with him back to the house. Another witness in the neighborhood heard the gunshots and saw Adams point the gun at his girlfriend and demanded her to get back in the house. The investigation revealed Adams and his girlfriend were in the shed behind his mother’s house when Adams fell asleep. She got a text from the male victim who is her ex-boyfriend. They met up at the pond, thinking Adams was asleep, but when he woke up, he saw the two hanging out and got angry. After the shooting, the male victim drove off in fear for his life and Adams hid the gun under a futon in the shed where it was later recovered by police. Detectives also recovered three spent gun shell casings by the pond.

The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Cara Devlin and Richard Natto.