Tevin Gaines, a 32-year-old male listed in obituary information as being from Bainbridge, Georgia, died after a shooting in Tallahassee, Florida, on April 5, 2026. The violence unfolded in the early morning hours inside Zingales Billiards & Sports Bar at 1147 Apalachee Parkway, not far from the Florida Capitol. What began as a night inside a busy sports bar turned chaotic around 1:30 a.m., when police said a large physical altercation broke out inside the business.
Tallahassee police
responded to reports of a shooting and found Gaines suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Officers began life-saving measures at the scene, and he was taken to a local hospital, but he later died from his injuries. Early reports described the incident as happening during a “public affray,” with the shooting erupting amid a broader fight inside the bar. The aftermath drew concern from people familiar with the venue, with some patrons and community members calling for stronger security around late-night crowds after the deadly confrontation.
In the days after the shooting, investigators worked through witness statements, evidence from the scene, and the larger circumstances surrounding the fight. Police initially said they were pursuing all leads as they tried to identify who fired the shots. The case then moved from an open homicide investigation to an arrest later in April, when detectives announced that they had identified Lavarion Williams as the suspect.
On April 24, 2026, Tallahassee police took Williams into custody. Authorities said detectives determined that, during the fight inside Zingales, Williams produced a firearm and shot Gaines multiple times before fleeing the scene. Police also said witness statements and evidence helped lead them to Williams and allowed investigators to locate the firearm believed to have been used in the shooting.
Williams was charged with second-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in connection with Gaines’s death. Online reports identified him more fully as Lavarion Benjamin Williams. As of the available online reporting, the case had resulted in an arrest and formal charges, but no trial outcome or conviction had been reported.
