Man Sentenced To More Than 7 Years In Prison For Shooting: DOJ

SARASOTA, FL — A Sarasota man has been sentenced to seven years and two months in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, according to a news release from the Department of Justice.

The court also ordered Gabriel Galvan, 32, to forfeit the firearm and ammunition used in the offense. He pleaded guilty to the charges April 27.

According to court documents, on Feb. 10, 2020, Galvan stood in the middle of the street in a Sarasota neighborhood, blocking traffic. When a driver honked and gestured to Galvan to move from the road, Galvan pulled a gun from his back pocket and fired two shots, the DOJ said. The car drove off and Galvan ran from the area.

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Officers from the Sarasota Police Department responded to the area and spoke with Galvan, locating the gun hidden underneath an air conditioner, as well as two spent shell casings.

Galvan later confessed to possessing and firing the gun. A DNA analysis comparing his DNA to a sample taken from the firearm concluded it was 700 billion times more likely that the sample came from Galvan than anyone else, the DOJ said.

At the time of the shooting, Galvan had several previous felony convictions, which prohibits him from possessing firearms or ammunition.