A 42-year-old man was arrested at an Ocala extended stay hotel after he allegedly fired a gun in the parking lot while on a date with his girlfriend.

Shortly after 10 p.m. on Saturday, April 4, multiple Ocala Police Department officers responded to Studio 6 Ocala, FL (3620 W Silver Springs Boulevard) in reference to a shooting. A witness told police that a man, later identified as Zeroderick Antwon Williams, had fired a single round near the back of the property, according to the arrest report.

The witness further told police that the man, Williams, was walking with a woman, and they had entered one of the hotel’s rooms. When several officers approached this room, they made contact with Williams and detained him in handcuffs.

The report stated that Williams “spontaneously uttered” that he had “fir(ed) the gun in the parking lot.”

After being advised of his Miranda rights, Williams stated that his girlfriend had come over for a date, and he consumed approximately four glasses of wine in his room before she had to leave. He told police that he walked out with his girlfriend, and he brought his 9mm handgun because “the hotel is in a bad area,” according to the report.

When Williams and his girlfriend got outside, she allegedly told him that she “wanted to shoot it.” Williams claimed that he had never fired a gun before, so he proceeded to aim the firearm at the ground before pulling the trigger.

The gun initially did not fire, which reportedly prompted Williams to “rack the slide one time” to put a round in the chamber. Williams then allegedly fired one shot into the ground before returning to his room with the handgun in his possession.

An officer interviewed Williams’ girlfriend, and she corroborated his statement.

During a search of the hotel’s perimeter, officers found a single 9mm shell casing in the parking lot on the south side of the property. An “entry hole” was also located on a nearby wooden fence, and it had “a similar diameter” that was “consistent with a 9mm round.”

The damage to the fence was estimated at around $80.

Officers searched Williams’ hotel room and found the 9mm handgun that had been reportedly fired during this incident, along with a loaded rifle and shotgun.

Williams was placed under arrest and booked into Marion County Jail. He was released the following day after posting bond, and he is facing the following charges: discharging a firearm in public and criminal mischief with property damage (less than $200).

Marion County Court records show that Williams is being represented by a public defender. He has entered a written plea of not guilty, and he is scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, April 29.