Tallahassee police have arrested a 23‑year‑old man and released new details describing how detectives say a fight inside Zingales Sports Bar escalated into a fatal shooting caught on multiple videos and corroborated by witnesses.
The Tallahassee Police Department announced Saturday that Lavarion Benjamin Williams, 23, was taken into custody April 24 and charged with second‑degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in connection with the April 5 killing of Tevin Gaines, 32.
Officers were called to Zingales at 1147 Apalachee Parkway at about 1:31 a.m. on April 5 during the pre-dawn hours of Easter Sunday after reports of a shooting inside the business. Gaines was found just outside the bar with fatal gunshot wounds and later pronounced dead.
According to an arrest report filed by detectives, the shooting followed a fight among patrons inside the business that spilled toward the entrance. Blood and ballistic evidence were recovered both inside and outside the bar.
Detectives wrote that videos posted to social media became a key part of the investigation, showing overlapping angles of the altercation.
One video shows Gaines on top of Williams during the fight, according to the affidavit. Security guards are then seen separating the two men.
“There appears to be several feet between the victim and Lavarion Williams when Williams reaches into the center of his pants and appears to retrieve a firearm,” detectives wrote. “Lavarion Williams then extends his left hand toward the victim and shoots him. Muzzle flashes are observed emanating from the object in his hand.”
Williams is later seen standing with what appears to be a firearm in his left hand, the report states.
Multiple witnesses identify shooter, according to TPD invesitgators
Police said several witnesses who knew Williams personally identified him as the shooter after reviewing the videos.
Detectives also recovered the firearm used in the homicide from another witness after receiving information about its location, according to the report. Forensic analysis confirmed the gun matched evidence from the scene.
The witness told police they learned the gun’s location from a family member of Williams and picked it up at a south Tallahassee residence.
Cellphone records obtained through a warrant showed Williams’ phone was at Zingales at the time of the shooting and traveled south from the area shortly afterward, according to the report. The phone disconnected from its carrier around 3:14 a.m. and has remained inactive.
Detectives also wrote that Williams stopped reporting to his job after the day before the shooting, deleted most of his social media posts and cut off contact with several family members.
“He has evaded contact with law enforcement,” the affidavit states.
Williams is prohibited from possessing a firearm, according to court records. He was convicted in 2023 of possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell or deliver, a felony offense.
A judge approved arrest warrants April 14 and ordered that Williams be held without bond, court records show.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Tallahassee Police Department at 850‑891‑4200 or Crime Solvers at 850‑574‑TIPS (8477).
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee police arrest man in Zingales shooting