Johnny Walker

Johnny Walker was a beloved Gainesville, Florida, hairstylist known by hundreds across Florida and Georgia for his skills. His sister, Dawn Walker, described the 44-year-old Black man as the "life of the party" and a very loving, fun, and giving person. His obituary noted he was pleasant, easy-going, and a great joy to be around. Friends and family, including his godmother, Alachua County NAACP President Evelyn Foxx, remembered him as one of the most caring and helpful people one could ever meet. After graduating from cosmetology school, he opened his own salon and also worked as an executive assistant for a local healthcare provider.

On the evening of September 17, 2023, a 911 caller reported hearing several gunshots in the parking lot of Cynthia Chestnut Park. When Alachua County Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the park, located at 2315 SE 35th St., they found Johnny Walker lying motionless with multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to the UF Health Trauma Center, where he was pronounced dead. For Walker, visiting the park was a weekly routine; he went there every Sunday to relax and listen to music. Investigators discovered that his gold BMW sedan was missing from the scene.

The next morning, September 18, an Ocala Police Department officer spotted Walker’s stolen BMW traveling north on U.S. Highway 441. Deputies from both Alachua and Marion counties staged along the highway and located the vehicle. The driver, identified as Javon Barclay, a 28-year-old from Ocala, refused to stop and led deputies on a short chase. The pursuit ended when a deputy used a PIT maneuver to stop the car. Barclay was taken into custody and initially charged with fleeing law enforcement and driving with a suspended license.

Detectives continued to investigate Barclay’s connection to the homicide, and on January 17, 2024, an Alachua County grand jury returned an indictment against him. The charges included first-degree murder, grand theft of a motor vehicle, grand theft of a firearm, possession of a firearm by a felon, and fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement.

In November 2025, Javon Stephon Barclay, then 30, accepted a plea agreement with prosecutors. He pleaded to second-degree murder along with the related charges of grand theft of a motor vehicle, grand theft of a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and attempting to elude. An Alachua County Circuit Court judge accepted the deal, which carried an expected sentence of 30 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of 25 years to be served. As of November 2025, a formal sentencing hearing was scheduled to allow Walker's family to attend.