Attempted Murder Charge Filed Against Jealous Boyfriend After Sarasota Shooting: Police

SARASOTA, FL — A Tampa man faces charges of attempted murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in Sarasota after a Sunday morning shooting, Sarasota police said in a news release.

Police say Geno T. Jackson, 21, was jealous of his girlfriend’s male friend and shot at him. He was arrested Sunday and is being held at Sarasota County Jail on no bond.

Just before 10:30 a.m. Sunday, police in the area of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Orange Avenue heard gunshots near 28th Street and Leon Avenue. They saw a man running from 28th Street towards Noble Avenue. He ignored their commands to stop and ran inside a home in the 2800 block of Noble Avenue, police said.

Police surrounded the home and everyone inside left it voluntarily, including Jackson, who was taken into custody by police.

Officers noticed a car at the scene with what appeared to be a bullet hole in the center of the front windshield. The car’s registered owner and two women told officers they were standing near the car that morning in the area of 28th Street and Leon Avenue when shots were fired at them.

The victim told police that “he had been messing with the suspect’s (Jackson's) b----,” according to police reports.

One of the women told police that she and Jackson have been dating for nearly two years. She told officers that Jackson is jealous of her relationship with the victim, and she verbally fought with Jackson at her home earlier that day.

Other witnesses told police that they saw a man and woman walking on 28th Street towards Leon Avenue Sunday morning. After passing them, the witnesses heard a verbal altercation and six gunshots. They also saw the car being shot, police said.

The witnesses said they saw the woman run towards the home on Noble Avenue. Then, they saw Jackson holding a gun and wearing a ski mask. He dropped the gun to remove the mask and picked the gun back up from the bushes, they told police.

Six 9mm shell casings were found near the car. Multiple handguns and ammunition were found inside the home at Noble Avenue, including a 9mm Glock, police said.