LEON COUNTY, Fla. — A 20-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a shooting in Leon County in which a victim’s vehicle was struck multiple times by gunfire, authorities said.
D’Ysious Simmons was taken into custody April 30 following an investigation into the April 29 shooting near Fred George Road and Connector Drive. Deputies responded around 11:49 a.m. after receiving a report that a driver had been followed by another vehicle and shot at.
Officials said the victim’s vehicle was hit by multiple rounds, but the victim was not injured.
Investigators used surveillance footage, forensic evidence and other leads to identify Simmons as the suspect. Within hours, deputies located the vehicle he was believed to be driving at an apartment complex in the 1100 block of South Magnolia Drive.
Detectives obtained and executed a search warrant at the location, where they recovered a firearm that had been illegally modified to function as an automatic weapon.
Simmons was arrested and booked into the Leon County Detention Facility. He is charged with attempted first-degree murder and possession of a machine gun.
Sheriff Walt McNeil said the case highlights the risks of escalating disputes.
“This case is a clear example of the dangerous consequences when disputes escalate to gun violence,” McNeil said. “Thanks to the swift, coordinated efforts of our deputies and detectives, we were able to quickly identify, locate, and arrest the suspect while removing an illegally modified automatic weapon from our community.”
Officials said the incident appears to be isolated and the investigation remains ongoing.