Friend of man accused of murdering stranger then shooting 2 Gainesville officers speaks out

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - A friend of a man accused of murdering a stranger in a Gainesville lumberyard, then shooting at two officers, said she doesn't want him to be remembered as a bad person. She described him as being a good father and a hard worker. 

What we know:

A long-time acquaintance of Justin D. Long, 31, said his actions, which included murdering a man – police believe – then shooting at two officers who responded to the shooting, were out of character. 

Sheena Scarth, who said she's known Long most of her life, told FOX 35's Marie Edinger that Long was in trouble with law enforcement, but had turned things around. 

"I'm not gonna lie, as soon as I (saw) him, my heart completely shattered," Scarth told FOX 35’s Marie Edinger in an exclusive interview. "And I got upset because, like I said, that's not his character at all."

Scarth said Long was a good father and a hard worker, who seemed to be doing well in life. He’d had some trouble with the law when he was younger, but had turned things around years ago.

"I just don't want people to try to paint that picture of him that he was just this bad person – ‘Oh, going out to kill people,’" Scarth said. "He's always wanted to be the life of the party, the smile, the laughter. Like that's how he was. And so that's just how I want people to remember him is for the good parts of him."

The backstory:

Two Gainesville Police officers were hurt in an officer-involved shooting after responding to a reported shooting on Jan. 14. 

Police responded to the scene, saw Long leaving, and tried to stop his car but say he opened fire, leading to a rush-hour shootout on a busy road that sent bullets flying into neighboring businesses.

One Gainesville Police officer was shot in the arm; another in the leg.

Long was killed.

During an investigation, police searched a nearby lumberyard where Long was seen entering before the shooting, Moya said. Officers found a person in the business dead with gunshot wounds, he said.  

The man who was found dead in the business was identified as Eduardo P. Rodriguez, 23.

It's believed Long parked in the 1300 block of East University Avenue, walked into the lumberyard, "engaged" with Rodriguez, Moya said, and returned to his car where he encountered police and later died.

‘Clear intent’

Though Gainesville Chief of Police Nelson Moya said Rodriguez was a random victim, Moya said Long had "clear intent." 

Moya said he believes Rodriguez was selected randomly, and that Long suffered from a mental health crisis that led to the shooting.

The Gainesville Police Department told FOX 35’s Marie Edinger that their determination was "based upon evidence recovered and interviews with people [Long] was associated with."

Investigators may never come to fully understand a motive.

"I have reviewed some video and I assure you that this assailant had clear intent," Chief Moya said Wednesday.

What's next:

The Gainesville Police Department is continuing a homicide investigation after a person was found dead at a lumberyard business. 

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the officer-involved shooting.