GRACE is cooperating fully with law enforcement as they investigate an apparent homicide that occurred in the vicinity of our campus early Friday morning. At this point, here is what we know:

• A man was found deceased near GRACE, in an area between our campus and a large encampment on state property nearby.

• The victim had been trespassed from our campus and was not receiving housing, shelter, or outreach services at the time of his death.

• While we continue to provide meals and other services today, we have sent some staff home to decompress and are running with a limited number of services until Monday.

• The wonderful team at the Alachua County Crisis Center has sent a counselor to our campus to be available for our guests and staff this afternoon, and we thank them for the outstanding support they have provided to our team, our guests, and the community at large.

As always, we remain committed to serving as the community’s only low-barrier, trauma-informed emergency shelter, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to ending homelessness. Thank you for the incredible support you’ve shown us over the years. We look forward to continuing to provide critical services to the most vulnerable people in our community in a way that continues to prioritize the safety of staff, guests, and volunteers.

###