Micanopy man arrested for stabbing at Gainesville nightclub

MICANOPY, Fla. (WCJB) – Officials with the Alachua Sheriff's Office (ASO) say they have arrested the man who stabbed someone multiple times at a Gainesville nightclub in August 2024.

Rance James Shannon, 33, was taken into custody Tuesday morning after a September 1 warrant was executed against him.

According to authorities, on August 31, 2024, at approximately 11:00 p.m., officers with the Gainesville Police Department (GPD) responded to reports of a stabbing at the LIT Nightclub and Bar on West University Avenue.

According to the affidavit, the victim was on the dance floor when Shannon got into an argument with him.

According to the arrest warrant, Shannon said to the victim in a Spanish accent, “You can't beat me up,” and began punching the victim. The fight was broken up by people nearby and the victim turned toward the stairs to leave.

The victim then stated that Shannon hit him “hard” in the back and they began fighting again on the stairs. The victim said he hit Shannon in the head several times, but he did not remember seeing Shannon with the knife. The victim said he did not realize he needed life-saving treatment for his wounds until he ran out of the bar and found he was covered in blood.

When GPD officers arrived on scene, the male victim was found with multiple stab wounds to his side and back. The victim was taken to UF Shand's emergency room and had his spleen removed due to his internal injuries.

With the help of the victim, GPD created a profile of the suspect; he was a muscular white male with a large beard.

On September 1, 2024, an anonymous tipster called the Combined Communications Center to report that his partner had seen a man at an address off North US Highway 441 the night before burning blood-stained clothing. The caller stated that he heard the man say that he had already killed a man “last night” and was going to kill a man with a knife. The caller described the man as a white male who had a white Jeep parked in front of his house, but they did not know his name.

ASO officers went to the address and found Shannon and his girlfriend leaving the house and getting into their white Jeep Cherokee. Shannon had a visible black eye but denied being in a fight the night before or burning anything. Shannon showed officers his backyard and they confirmed there was a fire pit there.

The victim is said to have clearly identified Shannon as his attacker based on a photographic lineup.

Shannon was previously arrested in Gainesville in 2018 and has been convicted five times of felony offenses at the state level, four times of misdemeanors, and three times at the federal level for drug and weapons offenses.

Shannon is charged with attempted murder. He is being held without bail in the Alachua County Jail.

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