Flamethrower joins the list of unusual weapons used in crimes in Alachua County this year

A Gainesville man, tired of his neighbors’ parking habits, decided to take matters into his own hands – by firing a flamethrower at a teenage car, according to a Gainesville police report.

Andre Abrams, 57, is now charged with aggravated assault over the November 30 incident. It is the latest in a series of crimes in Alachua County that local residents wield unorthodox casual weapons, including a rollator, frying pan, medical urinal, and scooter. Machetes were involved in at least six cases this year.

When Abrams was reached by phone, he said he could not speak further without a lawyer, fearing he would be expelled. However, he said the story was more.

“This family, how should I put it – the worst that can ever happen to a neighborhood,” Abrams said. “You had problems with other residents and that needs to be brought to light.”

According to a GPD report, Abrams told officials he had become increasingly frustrated with his neighbors that afternoon over a series of parking lot disputes. That frustration led Abrams to do what he thought was necessary: ​​he brought his XM42 Lite flame thrower, which emits flames up to six meters long, to the car while they were in it.

Flamethrowers, famous for their movie appearances, recently saw a half-resurgence due to tech entrepreneur Elon Musk’s Boring Company flamethrower. Musk sold 20,000 units of his “No Flamethrower” in 2018 for $ 500, although these devices only emitted flames up to 3 m in length. Abrams’ XM42 flamethrower costs around $ 550.

Amari Singleton, the driver of the car, told police she and her two passengers saw Abrams approach them with the flamethrower and start spraying.

“You better not burn my car,” Singleton said, according to the report. Fearing for their lives, the three then scurried out of the car through the passenger door and ran away, Abrams continuing to spray his flames on them.

Ashley Gainey, the mother of 16-year-old passenger Nate’talya Baker, said the incident was the culmination of several heated disputes between her family and Abrams. She said Abrams frequently sprayed his flamethrower to deter guests in her home, incidents she reported to the Gainesville Housing Authority.

“When he shoots at it, the whole street lights up,” she said. “It’s like it’s light outside. He’ll do it in the middle of the night.”

Gainey said Abrams’ arrest came after she told officers to check the cameras Abrams had around his house. It was long overdue for Gainey.

“He shot it at her. When I got to the door, he was still shooting at it, ”she said. “I asked him: ‘What’s your problem?'”

Abrams admitted spraying the flamethrower near the car but denied targeting the victims, the report said. The indictment marks Abrams’ first arrest of a crime, if not his first violent charge; He was found guilty of assault on three counts from 2002 to 2004.

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