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Neighbors react after 18-year-old is killed in shooting at Jernigan Gardens Apartments in Orlando

Double-shooting happened in 1400 block of Mercy Drive

ORLANDO, Fla. – One person was killed and another person was injured Tuesday in a shooting at an Orlando apartment complex that saw three separate shootings in a 10-day span last year.

Sky 6 flew over the scene and police tape could be seen at the Jernigan Gardens Apartments at 1488 Mercy Drive.

Police said officers responded around 1:15 p.m. in reference to the shooting. Police said they found Kevin Dewayne Hodges, 18, in a breezeway suffering from a gunshot wound. He was taken to a hospital and was pronounced dead, police said.

A second victim was found inside an apartment with a gunshot wound and was taken to a nearby hospital in stable condition, officials said.

Police originally reported that there were three shooting victims but on Wednesday, OPD corrected the number to two.

The suspected shooter has not been identified, according to the release.

[STORY CONTINUES BELOW PHOTO]

1 killed, 2 injured in shooting near Jernigan Gardens Apartments (Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

Kendrica Carter heard the gunshots that Orlando police say killed Hodges.

The sounds were like boom, boom, boom,” Carter said.  “I actually do want to see more police over here and check the area and make sure everyone is okay.”

Carter said she worries about the safety of her two stepchildren.

“I want to stay here, but then again I don’t because I don’t want them here, it’s not safe for them,” Carter said.

Tuesday’s incident was the latest shooting at the troubled apartment complex.

On Sept. 22, Orlando police responded to a shooting at the Jernigan Gardens Apartments that left three people injured and one dead.

Police said on Sept. 28, a man was shot and wounded at the same apartment complex.

And on Oct. 1, no injuries were reported after a drive-by shooting at the complex.

Elizabeth Morgan has a nonprofit along Mercy Drive called Morgan Ministries that works to keep kids on track.

“We teach life skills, abstinence education, self control, anger management,” Morgan said.

She’s calling for the violence to stop.

“It really hurts because we have kids in our program who live over in that apartment complex but the the thing that hurts the most, it keeps happening over and over again,” said Morgan.

It’s worth a mention that many of the residents at Jernigan Gardens said the crime they see there is mostly done by people who don’t live there.

Anyone with information about Tuesday’s shooting is asked to call OPD or report a tip anonymously to Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS.


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