The man accused by police of shooting five times at his own mother during an argument escaped any further jail time and was sentenced to two years of probation after he pleaded in court to aggravated assault and weapons charges on Wednesday.
Brandon Dwayne “BigKuntry” Holsey, 33, of Gainesville, was also ordered to have no contact with his mother during the next two years, according to court records.
As a newly convicted felon, Holsey will also be banned from owning or handling guns in the future – at least until he completes his two years of probation. The judge said he would withhold judgment of the felony charge, which means the guilty verdict is erased from his record if he commits no further crimes.
Holsey pleaded no contest to the charges and was given credit for the 54 days he has already served in jail, awaiting the outcome of his criminal case. He was sentenced to no further time behind bars. Circuit Judge Phillip Pena also sentenced Holsey on Wednesday to one year of probation plus another year of drug testing.
Holsey also must undergo an evaluation for drug, alcohol or mental health problems and seek treatment if he is diagnosed.
Under the agreement with prosecutors, Holsey pleaded no contest to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a felony, and improper display of a firearm, a misdemeanor.
Holsey’s lawyer, public defender Jamie Elias Mann, could not be reached for fair comment. The public offender office has a policy to not comment on client cases. Holsey was still in the county jail late Wednesday and could not be reached for comment. The sheriff’s office does not allow journalists to interview detainees without written permission from their lawyers and a senior jail official.
Prosecutors acknowledged in court that they couldn't prove Holsey intended to shoot his mother – negating a charge of attempted murder: There were no bullet holes in her truck. It wasn’t clear whether he missed deliberately or was a poor marksman.
Holsey’s mother believed he was under the influence of an unspecified, illegal substance during the event, prosecutors told the judge.
The incident began Sept. 16, following an argument at the family home in Gainesville and ended with Holsey’s mother fleeing in terror, hearing shots as she drove away.
Police said Holsey argued with another woman in a car outside the family’s home early in the morning when Holsey’s mother criticized his behavior and began to leave in her car. Holsey then fired five rounds with a handgun from the front porch as his mother sped away. His 25-year-old brother and 16-year-old sister were still in the home, police said.
After his arrest, Holsey appeared surprised when police asked about the shooting, said he never hurt his mother, then asked to speak with a lawyer, police said.
Holsey’s Facebook mostly contains posts about his love for his son and brothers. He included a 2021 announcement about a then-upcoming family reunion that included the message, “Family is everything.”
Gainesville police initially noted the shooting incident publicly on its social media account, then deleted the note without explanation. Police did not immediately respond to phone messages about why they deleted the post.
Home to the University of Florida, Gainesville has been experiencing a surge in gun violence that has frustrated civil leaders and law enforcement. The city commission declared a gun violence crisis in February, and city leaders held a summit in early August to consider possible solutions.
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