A late May confrontation between UF football players and a group of local Gainesville men had brewed for months, according to a report by First Coast News in Jacksonville.
Citing a Gainesville Police Department report, First Coast News reported several Gator football players and local residents their age had engaged in conflicts dating to February. One of them turned violent at a local mall.
Tensions would escalate during May 28 confrontation on campus when two Gators brandished Airsoft guns resembling assault rifles. According to a campus police report, a baseball bat, frying pan and rocks also were brought to a fight that left six UF players facing a review by the student conduct board.