LAKELAND, Fla. – Detectives with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office have arrested and charged Jonathan Granados, a 16-year-old convicted felon from Lakeland, with multiple new felonies, including attempted first-degree murder, after he allegedly opened fire on another teen following a dispute arranged via social media. No one was injured in the shooting.
The investigation began on April 2, 2025, when employees at True Roofers on North Frontage Road discovered spent shell casings on their property.
Security footage from the business revealed a silver Chevrolet Malibu arriving and parking, followed by an unidentified man approaching the vehicle on foot and firing multiple shots before both the shooter and the Malibu fled the scene.
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Detectives quickly identified the driver of the Malibu as a 19-year-old Lakeland resident. Initially, the 19-year-old provided inconsistent statements, claiming his car was shot while parked at home.
However, when confronted with the security footage, he admitted to being at True Roofers during the shooting, stating he was there to fight someone he had been texting. He refused to identify the shooter.
Undeterred, detectives obtained search warrants for the Malibu, the 19-year-old’s cell phone, and his social media accounts.
Their investigation revealed that on the day of the shooting, the victim was en route to Granados’s residence but diverted to True Roofers due to the presence of law enforcement.
An Instagram group message thread on the victim’s phone showed him informing others, including Granados, about the police activity and directing them to meet him at True Roofers. He even sent a photo of the business’s fence, indicating he would “jump it,” and was seen on surveillance footage peering over the fence.
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Further conversations within the group chat referenced Granados’ house and discussions about law enforcement’s location. At one point, a message read “shoot the crib,” referring to Granados’s house, with the victim commenting that he was unarmed.
Jonathan Granados was positively identified as one of the Instagram users in the group chat and by witnesses shown the video surveillance of the shooting.
According to the affidavit, Granados “with forethought and planning, arranged for a confrontation with [redacted] at the residence of Jonathan Granados, 709 Bryon Ct, Lakeland, FL. Upon [redacted] arriving in the area, the unrelated presence of Law Enforcement altered [redacted] final location to the business of True Roofers, 3705 Frontage Rd N, Lakeland, FL.
Due to the presence of Law Enforcement in the Area, continued communications were had arranging for this altercation to be had with ‘no poles’ or no firearms. Jonathan Granados, then, utilizing ambush tactics, approached [redacted] and discharged a firearm, in an attempt to kill [redacted].”
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The affidavit also noted that at the time of the crime, Granados was on Conditional Release from a previous conviction for Carjacking.
Detectives served a warrant at Granados’s home, where they located a loaded Glock model 19 9mm handgun with an extended magazine containing 28 rounds. The firearm was modified with a “switch,” illegally converting it to fire in a fully automatic fashion.
Granados admitted to owning the gun, ordering the switch online, and installing it himself, reportedly telling detectives that when shooting it he “felt like Superman.”
“I am so proud of my detectives, who left no stone unturned until this case was solved and the suspect was appropriately charged,” said Sheriff Grady Judd. “This violent teenaged suspect, who has already been convicted of a felony, played a very dangerous game so he could ‘feel like Superman.’ If he’s Superman, then my detectives are his Kryptonite.”
Granados faces the following charges:
- Attempted first-degree murder (FL)
- Shooting into an occupied vehicle (F2)
- Shooting into a building (F2)
- Possession of a machine gun (F2)
- Possession of a firearm/ammo by an adjudicated juvenile (F2)
- Giving false info to law enforcement (F3)
- Discharging a firearm in public (M1)
- Violation of probation (M2)
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