Investigators say the suspect in the deaths of two women fled into Alachua County, prompting a highway shutdown and a tactical stop near Paynes Prairie.
MICANOPY, Fla. — A double homicide in Union County on Tuesday set off a regional manhunt that moved onto Interstate 75 and shut down the highway near Paynes Prairie during the evening rush, officials said. The pursuit ended when troopers forced a stop and the suspect died by apparent self-inflicted gunshot.
Authorities said the day began with emergency calls in Union County reporting two women fatally shot at a residence. Detectives quickly identified a suspect and alerted neighboring agencies. Hours later, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office warned drivers that I-75 near the prairie was closed for an “active and ongoing incident,” describing the person sought as “armed and dangerous.” Florida Highway Patrol units controlled the interstate while deputies moved to intercept the vehicle. The shutdown cut off a major corridor for Gainesville-area commuters and long-haul traffic, sending drivers onto U.S. 441 and county roads that were not designed for the sudden surge of vehicles.
The suspect’s vehicle was boxed in on I-75 after 5:45 p.m., according to regional media summaries. Troopers executed a Precision Immobilization Technique, spinning the car and bringing it to a halt on the shoulder south of Micanopy. Deputies approached behind shields with rifles pointed in case of further gunfire. When they reached the driver’s side, they found the suspect critically wounded from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot, authorities said. Medical crews staged nearby pronounced the person dead. No law enforcement officers or passing motorists were reported injured during the stop, and no shots were reported fired by officers during the final approach.
Union County investigators coordinated with Alachua County deputies to secure the interstate scene while a separate team continued processing the home where the two women were killed. Officials did not release names pending family notifications. They also did not identify the weapon recovered at either scene, and it was unclear late Tuesday if the gun found with the suspect matched bullets recovered at the residence. The Sheriff’s Office in Alachua County documented traffic control points at Williston Road and near the Micanopy exit, with troopers managing southbound and northbound diversions to keep the prairie causeway clear for the stop and medical staging.
The closure rippled through nearby towns. In Micanopy, a clerk working off U.S. 441 said customers came in reporting standstill traffic and long detours. A tow truck operator said he was flagged to stage near the southbound shoulder and waited for investigators to release the scene. In Gainesville, an evening class at a community campus began late, according to a faculty member who drove in from Marion County. “It took me almost an hour to find a route that wasn’t backed up,” he said, describing parking-lot conditions on county roads parallel to the interstate.
Paynes Prairie is a known choke point for I-75 because wetlands limit alternate east–west connections. When the interstate is closed there, traffic often backs up for miles in both directions. During past events, such as wildfire smoke and large crashes, officials have relied on U.S. 441 as the main relief valve. Tuesday’s closure fit a different pattern: a deliberate public-safety pause to end a violent case with minimal risk to bystanders. That approach meant simultaneous closures of both directions and careful spacing of patrol vehicles to create working room for the PIT maneuver and subsequent medical response.
By late evening, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office posted that “all lanes are back open,” and traffic slowly returned to normal on the prairie causeway. Union County detectives continued interviews and collected surveillance footage from nearby roads that might show the suspect’s path before and after the killings. An autopsy for the suspect will be scheduled, and investigators said they expect to release additional details about the victims and the weapon once next of kin are notified and preliminary lab results are complete. Florida Highway Patrol will compile a separate incident report documenting the closure and the troopers’ tactical stop.
Officials emphasized that Tuesday’s events involved two active crime scenes and a third location where the pursuit ended. Evidence technicians photographed the interstate shoulder, mapped skid marks, and documented the angle of the suspect vehicle relative to the travel lanes. At the Union County home, detectives collected shell casings and canvassed for doorbell video. Law enforcement said any future briefings will focus on the timeline from the initial 911 call to the termination of the chase, including the decision to shut down the interstate and the criteria used to greenlight the PIT maneuver.
As of late Tuesday, the homicide investigation remained underway in Union County while Alachua County authorities closed out the interstate scene and reopened I-75. No further road closures were expected overnight barring new developments, officials said. Additional updates are anticipated after next of kin notifications and the completion of preliminary forensic reviews.
Author note: Last updated February 4, 2026.