This past Monday, while leaving his mother’s house in Jacksonville, Fla., UFC bantamweight Roman Taveras narrowly escaped being killed in a drive-by shooting. Taveras released security video of the terrifying incident to his Instagram account.
“It’s unfortunate that I even have to make a post like this, but I cannot let this be swept under the rug,” Taveras wrote on social media.
“Monday, July 29, 2024, at 10:05 pm, a group of armed men drove up on me at my mother’s house and tried to take my life. By the grace of God, I made it out with no injuries and was able to grab my own firearm and return fire in self-defense. This city is unforgiving, and it’s worse that JSO [Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office] does nothing to correct the problem. I lost my brother in 2019 due to gun violence, and his killers are yet to be caught. Now I find myself almost in the same situation.
“JSO did the bare minimum for my brother and is now doing the same for me. They assumed I was targeted due to “gang violence” or a problem I caused. I don’t bother anyone, I stay in my own lane, I focus on my career and family. Even after explaining this, they continued to insinuate that I was involved in something that brought this outcome upon myself.
“Nobody is perfect, and everyone has a past. However, I have changed significantly from who I was ten years ago. For such an incident to occur out of nowhere is alarming. It makes me view my life and family through an entirely different lens. This is a daily reality in my city; I am not the first, nor will I be the last. I am tired of remaining silent about my brother’s case, and I refuse to let this incident slide either. Many other families in my city have endured similar situations, crying out for justice just as my family is.
“My family feels unsafe, and I fear for my children, who nearly lost their father the person striving to change their lives. It is tragic that I have so much love for my city, yet I am compelled to leave. I will use this situation to speak out against the ineffectiveness of JSO and their disregard for the less fortunate parts of the city. They seem indifferent to whether lives are lost or at risk. I am sick of it! This could have been a memorial post; I could have lost my life just like my brother, or somebody else could have lost theirs trying to take mine. I am done being silent. I ask for your support in spreading this message as far as we can.
“I am blessed and happy to be alive, but I’m leaving Duval.”
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In the video, Taveras can be seen leaving his mother’s house and walking toward a car when a vehicle opened fire on him from the street. Taveras positioned himself behind the card until the vehicle drove away. Taveras drew his firearm and returned shots.
Taveras made his way to the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series. He appeared twice in the promotion. He was defeated by Serhiy Sidey in the first round. He was given a second opportunity and finished Cortavious Romious in 29 seconds. The win earned him a UFC contract. He made his promotional debut in January and avenged the previous loss to Sidey. He was slated to face Caolan Loughran at UFC 304 but was forced out of the bout due to injury.
